Here With Me
by whitelips paleface
Summary: Companion piece to Hold On to Me. Carlisle and Esme take advantage of the gift that Esme's estranged daughter has to offer, giving them something Esme has always wanted. A baby.
1. Let's Make a Baby

**Here is the tie in! Will be a couple of chapters, perhaps each chapter dedicated to a whole month of pregnancy. **

**It's important to read Hold on to Me before or while reading this. **

**Disclaimer: Stephenie Meyer is the rightful owner of Twilight. **

**~.~.~**

"_The child must know that he is a miracle, that since the beginning of the world there hasn't been, and until the end of the world there will not be, another child like him."_

**~.~.~**

_Esme sat back in her chair amazed. Amazed of the sudden warmth she felt, and it still lingered in her womb. Instinctively she placed a hand on her tummy and let it stay there. She wondered if she had to wait to kick in or if she'd get pregnant right away. Looking at the small clock she had on her desk, she smiled knowing Carlisle was going to come in any minute. Almost as if on cue, there was a short rasp on her door, as Carlisle appeared on the door frame with a smile on his face. _

"_Carmen and Eleazar doing fine downstairs?" Esme reached out for his hands, grinning from ear to ear. Holding his hands in hers, staring into his golden orbs, she saw and felt the love that they both had for each other, and now she was even more excited to have his child. _

_Carlisle nodded and kneeled in front of her, in a manner similar to how Ava did thirty minutes ago. "You look happy, love." He commented caressing her cheek, his heart melting a bit as she leaned into his touch. _

_Esme hummed in affection, and slowly got up from her chair and swiftly closed the door behind her quite dramatically. Giving him her most seductive smile she walked over to him as he stood up from his kneel. "I am happy." Giving him a playful shove, he fell onto her chair. Leaning down she kissed his forehead. "Carlisle, I hope you don't mind but Ava did it." Esme whispered, watching his face carefully._

_Carlisle reached up to cup her cheeks. "Did it work?" was all he asked. _

_Esme shrugged and straddled him in her chair as she popped the first couple of buttons from his shirt, her fingers lingering his bare chest momentarily. "Well, there's only one way to find out." She breathed out as she leaned into him, pressing her lips to his, softly at first. Carlisle smiled into the kiss as she returned the kiss, giving into her. _

_Deepening the kiss, Esme reached down to unbutton his belt with a swift movement she undid his pants button and zipper. "You're so eager, cariño." He chuckled moving so she could undress him easily. _

"_I know, but I don't really care right now." Esme smirked continuing their passionate kiss. _

_Carlisle laughed and moved her over to her desk pushing everything out of the way before placing her on it. Esme gasped as he kissed her neck a smile on her lips. "I love you, Esme." He whispered into her ear, sending a shiver down her spine. _

"_I love you, too." Esme gasped as she felt pleasure running through her body. _

She felt his hands caressing her stomach underneath her blouse, she sighed into the kiss. "Take it off." She growled, needing to feel his hands on her.

Obeying her commands, he pulled her blouse above her arms, exposing her bra-clad chest to him. Moving onto her pants, he swiftly peeled them off of her. He stepped back momentarily to admire the sight in front of him. Her pale skin glowing in the moonlight, the moon shining high and bright outside their window. "Beautiful." Her murmured, running a finger from her scar down her chest.

"Carlisle." Esme groaned reaching for him, but he held her hands back as he kneeled in front of her and kissed her stomach, leaning her head back. "Carlisle, please." She sighed, holding onto his hair, as she felt him kiss her.

There was so much going on in her mind. Enjoying every kiss and touch that he gave her. It was slow and passionate, filled with love and tenderness.

**~.~.~**

They were lucky that the desk didn't break underneath them. Soon they moved to their room, to finish their business. They laid there after it all, Esme holding onto his torso while he ran his hands through her hair. Both of them in silence, enjoying their company together. Ever since Ava had arrived, they haven't had made love to each other. Today was the day they did, and with more reason to do so.

Esme hummed without tune, circling her finger around his chest, snuggling closer to him, throwing a leg over him. The sun was rising above them, the sun trying to peek inside the closed curtains behind them. The house was quiet. There was no sound to be heard around the house. They were all probably out for the night.

Carlisle sighed a happy sigh, stroking Esme's bare hips with the tips of his fingers. "I love you." He murmured; his face buried in her hair.

Esme's lips were curved into a smile, something as simple as saying I love you made Esme the happiest. "Not as much as I, my darling." Esme hummed, turning her head slightly to go ahead and kiss his chest.

"We could be parents to our own children soon, if it works." Carlisle commented, staring at the ceiling.

There were doors opening and slamming shut, a small amount of bickering going on between Emmett and Alice but that quickly diminished.

"If it does work, I hope the baby looks like you. I already have my twin, now you need yours." Esme smiled at the idea of having their own child. A princess or a prince with blonde hair, blue eyes, with a shy but compassionate personality. She hoped her baby was all Carlisle. Ava was mostly her, and for that she was thankful. Thankful that she didn't take her fathers personality.

Carlisle shook his head and moved her slightly so he could sit up. "I want the baby to look like you, love." He whispered and kissed her head before walking to their closet taking out the clothes he was going to wear to work. "I have to get ready for work."

"I'll help you shower." Esme smirked, leaping out of the bed and making her way to their bathroom as he walked in with his clothes in hand.

**It's the first chapter, so it's a bit short. However, this will be more likely than not be a lot Esme and Carlisle dealing with the pregnancy. **

**Let me know how the first chapter was. **


	2. Miracolo

**Disclaimer: Stephanie Meyer is the rightful owner of Twilight.**

* * *

**~.~.~**

They've been trying for what seemed like forever with no news or even a sign that indicated that she was able to conceive. However, it's only been a month or so. So, they kept trying and trying in hopes of being able to conceive, but they knew not get their hopes up. It's not like she could pee on a stick or even draw some blood.

Esme sighed as she rolled over in her bed that she shared with Carlisle. The bright sun coming in through all the windows, as she pulled the covers over her head, in attempt to block out the intruding rays of sun. Carlisle was in the middle of showering, getting ready for the day. She heard him whistling to the tune of some Queen song she's heard over the years, and recently she heard Ava listening to on the vinyl records. She closed her eyes momentarily, still feeling the light hit her eyes just slightly.

She seemed to zone out, as her eyes felt heavy. So, when Carlisle walked out his hair still wet, clinging onto his forehead, he expected her to turn to face him. He disposed of his clothes in the hamper, running a towel to his head before going to her side. "Esme, dear?" He asked, as she still hadn't opened her eyes, maybe she was trying to be funny. He moved her slightly, but still nothing.

"Esme?" He asked, worry in his voice as he began to move her with a bit more vigor.

Soon, her eyes fluttered open slightly, showing him her bright golden eyes. "Yes?" She asked her voice hushed, blinking rapidly before reaching up to have him hug her, much like a child.

Carlisle hugged her anyway, running his hands through her hair, as he breathed in her scent. "Are you okay, honey?" He asked.

Esme nodded and pressed her lips to his jawline. "Of course, I am. Why wouldn't I be?"

Carlisle shook his head, as he got up to walk to the bathroom to comb his hair. "Turn the water on for me, please?" Esme called over as she began to undress herself tossing her clothes into the hamper, before sauntering into the bathroom as she heard the knobs turning and the water running. Steam slowly filling the bathroom, going into their room slightly.

"I need to get going, love." Carlisle whispered, putting away his hair wax and comb.

Esme peaked out of the shower, and they kissed before he walked out the door, coat in hand. Esme sighed and looked down to her body as she passed a loofah over her body. As she ran it over her breast, she furrowed her brows, her hair sticking to her back.

She sat her loofah down and ran her hands over her breasts, feeling them a bit tender and noticed that they were just a tad swollen. She shook her head and pushed that thought to the side and continued on with her shower.

Once out of the shower, she quickly dressed herself and tossed her hair into a ponytail as she walked down stairs to see Nessie lounging on the couch with her backpack on the floor next to her as she scrolled through her phone.

"Hi, Mama." Nessie muttered with a smile as she looked up from her phone.

Esme smiled at her and walked over to her granddaughter to kiss her head. "What are you doing here so early?"

Nessie sighed, placing her phone on her lap with a shrug. "I couldn't sleep, I guess. Plus, Ava said she'd give me a ride to school."

"Where is she now?"

"She said she was going to change and then we'd head out." Nessie answered swinging her legs to the side.

Esme nodded and headed to the kitchen. "Did you have breakfast yet, dear?"

"No, Mama Esme." Nessie chuckled as she walked over to the island and sat down as she watched her pull out fruits and milk from the fridge. Everything was done with swift movements, as she poured the berries and chopped up bananas into the blender, along with honey, some oats, and milk. "I tried getting smoothie bowls from other places, and they don't compare to the ones you make." Nessie smiled, as she leaned onto the island as Esme placed the bowl in front of her.

Esme laughed and sat down across from her, as she watched her granddaughter eat her smoothie, as she added more toppings. "That's because it's not made with love, Ness."

Nessie chuckled and shook her head, continuing on with her breakfast. The sound of Ava coming down the stairs, jingling her keys in hand with her sunglasses perched on the top her head. "Morning," Ava sang walking over to Esme to give her a kiss on her head. "Ready, Ness?" She asked.

Nessie nodded as she shoved another spoonful into her mouth, leaving a couple more spoonful's in there. "Ready." Nessie laughed and rushed over to her backpack.

"Alright, I'll see you later."

"Drive safe!" Esme called as she watched both girls walk out towards the garage.

Reaching over the countertop, she slid the bowl over towards her and moved around the pink smoothie in there, that still had hints of granola and chia seeds in them. There was something appealing and appetizing about the mush that was in there. Taking the tiniest amount of it on her spoon, she swallowed the pool of venom in her mouth, shocked that this was her form of her mouthwatering. Placing the bit in her mouth, she let it melt on her tongue and her eyes widened a bit at the fact that she found it quite good. Scooping up more, she ate the rest of what was in that bowl.

**~.~.~**

Esme spent her day cleaning whatever she could, making lunch for Nessie stealing a couple nibbles here and there, as opposed to just sniffing it to see if it had the right amount of every ingredient. She spooned it onto a plate and walked over to her studio. As she spread out one of her forgotten blueprints over her drafting table, she sighed and stared at it. Over the course of her years, she has built numerous dream houses. Even the house on her island was a dream house, so now she was out of ideas.

As she sighed, she rolled up her previous blue print and placed it back to where the rest were and pulled out a blank one. As she sharpened her pencil, she heard the door opening to see her favorite blond enter her studio.

"Hello, Esme," he kissed the top of her head, looking down at the blank paper in front of her. "Working on a new, house?"

Esme smiled and reached for his tie, untying it before she slid it off of him. "I guess I am, but I'm not really sure at this point."

Carlisle hugged her from behind as he watched her tap her pencil on her desk. "You can probably add a bigger family room or perhaps a bigger room for Ava?" Carlisle suggested, murmuring as his lips were against his head.

"Perhaps, yes. We're definitely going to need two family rooms. I was thinking, maybe a sitting room and a game room where they could just hang out with their video games and whatever they want. Those consoles are an eyesore," Esme scoffed, a slight tease in her voice.

He ran a hand over her chest briefly as he was pulling his hands away, he caught as she winced slightly, as she felt her breasts feeling sore and tender. "Are you okay, love?"

"Yeah, I am." She quickly gave him a smile, trying her best to hide the slight pain she felt.

"Let's go hunt, I had quite a day today at the hospital. I need it." He sighed, pulling her up to her feet.

Esme smiled and nodded, wrapping her arms around his neck. "Let's go. I need it, too."

**~.~.~**

The sun was setting in between the trees, as they ran off to find something for dinner. It's not like Esme really needed it, seeing as she was satisfied with the little amounts of food that she was eating. Right now, there was no need for her to expel it from her body.

"Uh, you go ahead, darling," Esme stopped in her tracks, as she watched Carlisle crouch down and get into his zone.

Carlisle looked back and walked over to her in concern, now more so worried for her. First, it seemed like she was sleeping, then she winces when he runs his hand over her breast, and now she doesn't want to hunt. "Esme, you have to tell me what's going on," He pleaded, taking her hands in his, giving them a gentle squeeze.

Shaking her head, she sighed and brought his hands up to her lips. Pressing a gentle kiss on each of his knuckles. "I'm fine, darling," Esme whispered while he rolled his eyes slightly, "trust me, I'm fine. I just feel a little anxious, that's all."

"Are you sure, and anxious about what?"

"I'm not sure, but I can promise you that I'm fine." Esme reassured, as she gestured for him to continue with his fine. "Maybe I can share one of your deer's, or whatever you find."

**~.~.~**

It continued like this for the next week or so, as they went on their hunts, while she cooked for Nessie and set aside a little bit for her as well. This particular morning however, she set aside a couple of strawberries while she was making Nessie's smoothie bowl this morning.

Popping a couple of them into her mouth before continued with her chores. There were times when she felt that her stomach was aching, but she brushed it off continuing with her dusting and mopping. Ava had left a couple hours ago to check out a couple book stores and record stores in New Haven and in Hartford, seeing as she really liked the record player that they had stored in the once spare room.

So, now she just sat down on the kitchen table, leaning her head on the cold marble counter. Again, she felt her stomach ache. She placed her hand on her stomach, hoping that it would go away just like much the other pains.

However, it didn't. She rushed to her room and pushed open her bathroom door and launched herself to the once unused toilet. There she was expelling whatever was in her system, and it made her feel awful.

Clutching at the porcelain seat, hearing the seat crack just a little bit underneath her hold. She heard the door creak open just a bit, and cold fingers brushing her face as she felt her hair being pulled back. As she continued to expel more of the berries and the blood that she had in her system, she felt soothing hands running up and down her back.

"I feel awful," Esme groaned as she rested cheek on the cold seat.

"It worked," her daughter cooed, hearing the joy in her voice.

Her hand went directly to her stomach, as an instinct. "It did?" She croaked out as she felt her throat raw from regurgitating everything that was in her stomach.

Ava nodded as she flushed the toilet and pulled her hair into a ponytail. "It did, you're eating food, and I swear you look clammy," Ava murmured helping her mother up to her feet. "Have you told Carlisle?"

Esme smiled weakly at Ava, as she shook her head. "No, I haven't. Perhaps, I should call him soon." She felt Ava leading her to her bed, and as she was laying her down, she tugged onto Ava's arm and smiled at her. "Cuddle with me until Carlisle gets home? You're cold and it feels good," she chuckled.

"Of course."

They both laid there, Ava running her finger's through Esme's hair, watching as it lulled her to sleep it seemed. Ava sighed, happy that it was her doing that her mother finally had something she's always wanted.

A baby.

**~.~.~**

The door was pushed open a couple hours later, Esme's eyes were still closed as Carlisle walked in on Esme curled into a ball, while Ava was still running her fingers through her hair. "Hi." Ava whispered as looked up from her place.

"Is she okay?"

"She's fine, just a rough morning. I'll let you two be." Ava whispered, as she softly maneuvered herself away from Esme, gentle not to jostle her too much not to take her away from her slumber or her peaceful moment.

Carlisle took her spot, as he watched her lay there peacefully. He stroked a strand of hair away from her face, as she stirred a little bit. Her eyes fluttered open and smiled at her husband who was looking at her with loving eyes with a hint of concern. "Hi, daddy," her voice was a bit hoarse, as she was waking up from her nap.

Carlisle raised an eyebrow in amusement and intrigued. "Daddy?"

"Yes, my love. It worked. We're going to have a baby," she reached up to cup his cheek as she nodded excitedly.

His smile only widened as he saw how excited Esme was. "Darling, I'm going to be a dad?"

"You're going to be a dad."

"I love you, beautiful," he murmured as they hugged each other as they lay there. His hand went over to her tummy, his cold hand against her stomach. It felt amazing against her skin. "I'm going to be a dad to a beautiful baby."

Ava had come and checked on Esme a few moments after she announced her pregnancy to her husband. She went down to get her crackers from downstairs, after she found that she was still dry heaving.

"We need to tell the kids, my love," Carlisle cooed.

Esme shook her head, holding onto her stomach. "No, darling. Not yet."

"I have your _des collations_." Ava sighed, handing her the packet of crackers.

Carlisle had an amused look on his face as Esme laughed before placing a cracker on her tongue and slowly chewing on it. "Where did that come from?"

"Oh, I'm learning French. Everyone here knows like five languages; thought I'd learn how to speak French first." Ava shrugged and sat down by the bed as she took off the lid from the water bottle.

"That's good, hon." Esme cheered on, as she sat up on her bed. "How are the kids?"

"Your adults are fine. They were doing homework the last time I saw them." Ava corrected, in a teasing tone. "You're going to have a baby soon, worry about yourself for a while. You need to take care of yourself and the life that is going to be growing in you for the next couple of months, mom."

"You're right. I need to tell them." Esme swung her feet off the edge of the bed having Ava and Carlisle help her up slowly, so she wouldn't get dizzy and return to being best friends with the toilet. "I'm not nine months pregnant, I can still get up by my own." Esme rolled her eyes as both of them dropped their hands to their sides.

Esme lead the way down their stairs, with Carlisle behind her watching her every move, feeling more protective over his wife and mate. Ava was having fun watching the way he shadowed her every move down the halls and down their stairs, as if she might trip over a speck of dust and tumble down their three flights of stairs.

**~.~.~**

Esme did her best to block her thoughts from her gifted son and tried to play with Alice's blind spots. She walked down the stairs as casual as she could, taking a seat on the empty love seat, as half of her kids were doing their work in the dining room table.

Ava sat down by her feet, as she grabbed a book from the coffee table, flipping through it, occasionally glancing up from her spot as she felt Esme fidget slightly in her seat. Trying to comfort her in the best of her ability, she held onto her ankle, something that her best friend from her human years used to do when she was nervous.

Carlisle stood behind Esme, his hands on her shoulders, softly massaging them. Leaning back into his touch, she closed her eyes partly because she thought she was going to puke again, but partly because it's what made her feel better. He always made her feel better.

"Are you okay?" Rosalie looked up from her tablet, her pen in her hand as she wrinkled her eyebrows, as Esme looked like she was about to pass out.

Esme nodded looking opening her eyes, suppressing her urge to heave right now on her floor. "I'm fine, Rose." It had caught all of her kids' attention, Ava's thumb rubbing circles on her ankles as she continued to read her book. It was one of Esme's book on the art during the Rococo years. "I have something to tell you something." Esme breathed out, looking up at Carlisle for confirmation as he nodded with a affirming look.

"You guys are swingers?" Emmett shouted out standing away from his seat, slamming shut his textbook.

Ava snorted with laughter, closing her book and tossing it back on the coffee table. "Oh, yes. They are swingers, they have a group in Hartford and New Haven that they run." Ava rolled her eyes, watching as the rest of her siblings suppress giggles and chuckles as they saw the confusion on Emmett's face. "No. They are not swingers."

"Thank you." Carlisle laughed, rubbing his hands up and down his wife's arms.

Esme cleared her throat, reaching up to hold Carlisle's hand trying to find the courage to tell her adoptive kids that she is carrying her miracle baby. "I am pregnant."

* * *

**Here's the second part. I drank a couple of cans of coke, and now I regret it a bit. **

**Let me know what you guys thought, as I do still plan to write a chapter per month of pregnancy. **

**Also, will there be any complications? **


	3. Ice-Cream & Beaches

**Hopefully you guys read Hold on to Me, if not here's a quick tl;dr. **

**Eleazar told them that since Ava's gift was to gift the power of conception – for humans – so they conceived a more-so human baby, so Esme's body is adapting to cater to Baby's need therefore obtaining human tendencies, such as snacking and napping. **

**Disclaimer: Stephenie Meyer is the rightful owner of Twilight. **

**~.~.~**

_Weeks 5-8 _

"I'm pregnant." Esme breathed out as she looked at her family. However, she was looking straight ahead at Rosalie, wondering how she was going to take it, after she found out that Emmett didn't really agree to her trying to conceive, within reason.

Rosalie smiled at her, a sad smile before she went up to her adoptive mother and gave her a hug. "I'm so happy for you, momma," Rosalie whispered as her smile was small and sad.

"Really, Rose?" Concern in Esme's voice as she looked at her daughter after they separated, trying to read her face.

Rosalie nodded with a small shake of her head. "Yes, I'm really happy for you. That little nugget is going to be so loved," Rosalie placed a hand on Esme's tummy even though there was nothing to show for her pregnancy, just yet.

Esme smiled and pulled her in tighter into the hug, knowing that they both longed for the same thing. They held onto each other for a while, before they were pulled apart from the rest of the family as she they each tried to give their mother a hug.

"Wait, so does that mean that you're going to have weird food cravings or what?" Emmett interrupted from his place on the couch, leaning back with his hands behind his head.

Esme looked over and nodded with a small shrug to the shoulders. "Maybe, I mean I've been eating small amounts of food of whatever I made Ness or even what she left over."

"Whoa, that's crazy that you're going to be eating food, actual human food," he laughed at just imagining that someone of their kind could eat food without feeling a need to get rid of it soon after.

**~.~.~**

Later that night, while Esme and Carlisle were in bed both of them reading their respective books, Esme rolled over onto Carlisle. She let out a groan, as her face was buried in his chest. He chuckled and ran a hand through her hair as he continued to read his book with his free hand. Esme's brows furrowed and let out another groan, this time making it a little louder than the one before. A few minutes of silence went by before she reached up and knocked the book out of his hands.

"There's other ways to get my attention you know?" Carlisle asked with a sigh and a slight chuckle in his voice.

Esme giggled and buried her head in his chest, breathing in his scent as she sniffed his bare chest, her finger running through every inch of her body. "I do know, but I want ice-cream."

"We don't have ice-cream?" Carlisle asked, as he hugged his wife closer to his body.

Shaking her head, she rolled back onto her back and looked over at her husband with pleading eyes. "We don't. I really want one of those ice-creams that Nessie eats during the summer, they look really good," she asked like a little girl.

"My love, it's late at night," Carlisle whispered looking over at his watch.

"No, it's not, it's barely nine o'clock."

"Well, yes, but by the time we get to town it's going to be half an hour before ten."

"I don't really care, please?" She pleaded once more.

Carlisle sighed and nodded, standing up and walking over to his side of the closet pulling a regular t-shirt over his chest and some jeans while looking for his shoes. "Okay, let's go."

Esme smiled and was quickly on her feet, pulling a knit sweater over her head keeping on the leggings she had on. As she slid on her sandals she beamed up at Carlisle, happy that he was letting her indulge in her cravings. "Thank you, my love."

Carlisle chuckled, giving her bottom a playful slap as she walked out the door with her wallet in hand. It wasn't that late at night; however, the night was silent other than Alice sitting down on the couch in the family room as she was curled up on the couch with a blanket thrown over her as she watched a movie. "Running errands?" Alice squeaked from her spot on the couch as they were approaching the couch.

Esme nodded and leaned over to kiss the top of her head with a smile. "An ice-cream run," she laughed before she heard Carlisle jingle his keys in his hand.

"Drive safe!"

Was all they heard while Carlisle closed the door behind them as they walked out towards the garage. He opened the door for Esme, giving her a kiss on the cheek as she slid into his Mercedes.

As he backed out of the driveway, Esme leaned back into her seat. It was all too surreal for her right now. She couldn't believe that this was happening. After so many years of hoping and wishing, and just imagining what it would be like, she was finally going to have another chance to be a mother, and this time to a baby. She held Carlisle's hand as he raced through towards town, the trees flashing past them.

"Maybe we can get other snacks other than my ice-cream?" Esme asked, turning her head from the window to look at him. His skin was glowing under the moonlight, his pale skin looking rather appealing more so tonight than other nights.

Carlisle sighed as he pulled into the retail store that they frequented. "Esme, you need to be eating healthy," he sighed as he opened the door for her.

With a roll of her eyes, she grabbed a cart and walked through those automatic doors that lead them to the fluorescent filled lit room that had aisles upon aisles of different items. There were times where she would come and see what other small items she could pick to decorate around the house or snacks to pick up for Nessie.

Esme giggled as she climbed onto the cart while Carlisle watched her with an amused look on his face. "Oh, come on Carlisle! The store is almost empty," Esme teased as she crossed her legs underneath her.

Carlisle sighed and pushed the cart regardless, as they walked up and down the main aisles. As he turned to the frozen aisle, he stopped in front of the array of ice-cream in front of them. Different sized containers, different brands but he saw Esme getting out of the cart and opening the door as she examined her options. He looked at other options on the other side, but when he heard her climbing back into the cart with a couple different ice-cream items in her arms.

"Do you really need all that?"

Esme laughed as she sat her items next to her, as Carlisle pushed the cart away. "Well, I rather have a few options rather than coming out here every time I get cravings."

He smiled and reached to kiss her head, as he watched as she smiled with contentment. "Anything for my beautiful wife."

She sighed and got out of the cart, as they entered the fruit section, picking up a bundle of bananas and a couple of stone fruit. "I got my healthy snacks," she groaned a little bit, knowing that she really wanted some chocolate.

He took the bags that contained her fruit and kissed her hand. "Darling, you get whatever you want. Just make sure that you're balancing it out."

Esme nodded as she walked next to Carlisle, as they strolled through the store. She liked having the store to herself, as she was used to coming in the evening when everyone was running their errands before the kids let out of school. They picked up a couple more items that Esme wanted, also a couple things that she needed for the house like detergent and dish soap.

"Thank you, darling," Esme said as she watched Carlisle place their buys in the backseat.

Carlisle smiled at her as he placed the car in reverse and were once more on their way back home. He grabbed her hand and placed the back of her hand to his lips, keeping it there. "Like I said, anything for you."

**~.~.~**

Curled up in the couch with her pint of cookie dough ice-cream, Esme scrolled through the movie selection as she brought the blanket up closer to her chin. This has been going on for a whole week. She would move down to the living room around the same time. Precisely at nine o'clock to wait for Carlisle to get home. Always a different snack, seeing as she cravings always changed but tonight, she went back to the ice cream.

As she finally settled on what movie to watch she heard the front door open and as if clockwork, Carlisle was by her side, pulling her legs on top of his so they could cuddle together. Esme rested her head on his shoulder as the title cards were beginning.

"How was work, honey?"

Carlisle sighed running his hand through his hair. "It could have been better; I had a teenager come in. She had a knife lodged into her thigh," he shook his head at the memory of seeing how deep it was stuck into her, her parents berating her.

Esme closed the lid of her container, placing her spoon on top of it as she looked at him with concern in her eyes. "Was she okay?"

"Yeah she was fine, it just got me thinking," Carlisle sighed as he looked into her eyes.

Esme gestured for him to continue, wanting to know what was on his mind. It was obvious that something was bothering him, noticing the way he moved, the way he sat down. It was much too regal in comparison to how he usually was when they were together alone.

With an exasperated sigh, he slid down pulling Esme on top of him, noticing how comfortable their couch was. "What if we aren't good parents?"

"We'll be fine parents. I mean, we've managed to parent five teenagers for over sixty years, we can handle a baby," Esme reassured him, massaging his shoulder with her hand.

He smiled, placing a hand onto her stomach. Esme hummed content, as she placed a hand on top of his. In a couple weeks, she knows that her stomach will be a little bigger and she couldn't wait. There was something so comforting about her baby bump; she still remembers how in love she was when she was pregnant with her first babies.

The movie played softly in the background as he softly rubbed on her stomach, with a small smile on his lips. He didn't know how much more in love and protective he could be of his wife. Perhaps it was the fact that she was carrying a piece of him inside of her. "Hello, my little nugget." He said softly as he lifted up her blouse, pressing his lips an inch below her navel.

Esme gasped, his lips tickling her slightly. "Little nugget?" she asked as she watched him place ginger kisses in the same spot, as if he was giving their little baby kisses as well.

He hummed looking up from underneath his lashes. "Yeah, my little nugget," he agreed.

"Our little nugget." She stated with a huge grin on her face.

**~.~.~**

Esme was well into her eighth week and the morning sickness was getting worse for her, while the cravings have subsided. She was taking short naps here and there; it still shocked their family, but truth be told, she felt so relaxed whenever she would wake up from her short naps.

She was in her studio looking at her calendar marking down when she guessed they conceived; however, she knew she was in her eighth week and was already reading up all she had to know about her baby. She lifted up her shirt to place her hands on her stomach, noticing that it was a little more swollen than how it was three weeks ago.

Carlisle walked in with a bowl of strawberries, pulling up a stool as he placed her bowl on her desk. "Reading up on Baby?" Carlisle asked, as she saw Esme scrolling through her tablet, looking up to flash him a smile in appreciation.

"I am! Did you know that Baby is the size of a raspberry by now?" She was full of excitement. When she was pregnant, they didn't have any of this and now she was excited that she was going to be finding out about her baby along the way.

"I did," he chuckled, as he watched how her face glowed with delight.

He leaned in to kiss her plump lips, relishing in the way that she smiled into the kiss. There was something about the way she returned their kiss made him melt. "Why don't we take this to our room?" Esme whispered as she pulled back.

Carlisle chuckled and lifted her up from her spot, leading her towards their room by the hand, not before she reached for her untouched bowl of strawberries.

They enjoyed each other's body as much as they could before nightfall.

They laid side by side together in silence, while he ran hand up and down her arm. There was a small flutter coming from where Esme was laying. Carlisle furrowed his brows as he stopped his movements, trying to listen as intently as he could. Moving down the bed slightly, his head briefly grazed Esme's breast causing her to wince at the feeling of them being sore, although it didn't bother her a couple minutes ago.

He pressed his ear on top of her stomach, as he heard the precious flutter of a heartbeat. It sounded a little louder than what he's heard, maybe he was overthinking it, but it seemed to him that it overlapped another.

"Carlisle?"

Carlisle held onto her hip, as if it was going to help him press his ear deeper to hear the beating. The sound of his baby's heart beat made him fall in love even more. "Our baby has a heartbeat, love." He whispered in awe.

Esme chuckled and nodded. "I heard it two days ago when I was working on the blue prints for the next house. It's the most beautiful sound," she gushed, running a hand through his disheveled blonde hair.

"I still can't believe we're having our own baby."

"I know. These remaining weeks are going to fly by so soon and we're finally going to me our baby. Baby, our little nugget."

She couldn't help but bask in the way her husband looked at her, the way he paid so much attention to her and their unborn child. She has never seen him so excited and in love. For a while, she was afraid that Carlisle wasn't going to bond or even have much of an interest in the baby. Esme was so glad that she was wrong. The baby was having a pull on him, and he was loving it, so was she.

"Let's go for a walk?" Carlisle offered as he looked up from his hold on her stomach, noticing the way she looked at him.

Esme nodded stretching, swinging her legs over the side of the bed. "Where to? To the clearing in the forest?"

Carlisle shook his head and smiled at her. "Let's go to the beach, it's a little past eight and it'd be nice to be at the beach for a while," he shrugged as she looked at him in shock but equally amused.

"Wow, Baby is making you a little more adventurous," Esme teased as she slid on some jeans and flats.

**~.~.~**

The salt air and the sound of the waves crashing onto the shore was relaxing to the couple, as the moon shined high and bright above them. The couple walked hand in hand, as they talked about different scenarios of what ifs with their baby. If their baby was a boy, then Carlisle would be able to teach him how to bat a bat or if their baby was a girl then they could both watch her dance recitals and Esme could teach her or him to paint.

They settled on a spot by the sand as they watched the waves, as they twinkled slightly in the moonlight.

"Thank you, again, honey," Esme whispered taking a hold of his hand.

Carlisle looked over at her as her hair was being slightly tousled through her ponytail by the sea breeze. "For what, sweetheart?"

"For letting me have this baby. For allowing us to experience this miracle. For being so supportive and caring towards Ava. I couldn't have asked for a better husband, and I love you so much," she enthused, with a big grin on her face, her dimples gracing her face.

Carlisle kissed her temple before they both turned to look at the ocean. "My darling, there is nothing to thank for. My love for you and Baby is out of this world. Ava is important to me, perhaps as much as she is to you. Our family is getting bigger, and we've been blessed tremendously," his words were passionate; they were the sincerest words that she has heard and filled with compassion. "I can't thank God enough for blessing me with a beautiful wife, mate, best friend, confidant, and even my accomplice. He blessed us with such a beautiful family."

Esme smiled and rested her head on his shoulder, stifling a yawn. "He really did bless us greatly. He definitely blessed us, and He keeps giving," she agreed, letting a yawn escape.

"You're tired? Let's go, love," his voice was tender and soft as he picked her up bridal style while she nodded.

"Can I get fries? I smelled them and they sound good right now." She giggled as he carried her to the car.

"Anything my baby momma wants," he teased, earning him a playful swat on the shoulder.


	4. Pumpkins, Leggings, and Cherries

**Quick reminder, they live in Connecticut in this timeline so they're free to go walk to the beach at night. **

**Disclaimer: Stephenie Meyer is the rightful owner of twilight. **

**~.~.~**

_Weeks 9-13_

Esme went from snacking to full course meals, all the while her fatigue was getting greater; her naps were getting longer as the days have gone by. She was excited of the fact that she was in her third month of pregnancy, knowing that there were only a couple more to go.

Esme and Carlisle were in his study, as Carlisle was going through his handbook from the hospital to see if there was any policy on paternal leave. They were sitting in the couch he had that was set up strategically in front of his glass wall and also the fireplace. Her feet were on his lap, as he massaged one of them with his free lap as he read through the handbook.

"Baby is the size of a cherry now," Esme stated as she was scrolling through her tablet, she wanted to flip some houses or even do some interior design work before she got too big, so she was looking at some ideas for one of her new clients.

Carlisle chuckled, loving her small updates on the baby; he felt included in everything that involves Baby. "A really big cherry or a teeny tiny cherry?"

Esme scoffed and pulled one of her legs so he could move onto the next foot, as it felt good after she kicked off her heels. She had an interview that morning with her client, as they discussed ideas and what they wanted done in the main rooms. "I want to say a normal sized cherry."

Carlisle smiled setting down his book. The button of her dress pants was undone, her blouse untucked, and it had rid up slightly at that point. He smiled as he saw how relaxed she looked as she popped a couple pieces of almonds into her mouth, her lipstick kind of smudged. "I can take up to a month of paid paternal leave, and the month after would be unpaid," he said bringing both her feet back onto his lap so he could massage them both.

"Well, you could do just the one month, Carlisle. I don't really think we'd need to take the other month. The kids could help with Baby," she offered, knowing that they will have plenty of help if needed when Baby does decide to come around.

"It's not that I don't think they'd help out, darling. It's more that I want to be able to bond with my Baby," he sighed, circling his thumb on the soles of her feet.

She sat her tablet down and stared at her husband with pure love. "I love that you want to be able to bond with Baby. Baby is going to love you so much."

"I want Baby to love me."

"Baby will love you." Esme giggled as she went to sit on his lap to kiss his forehead. "My beautiful angel, I love you so much!" She squealed when she felt him tickle her sides.

**~.~.~**

Waking up from naps to run to the bathroom was not an ideal way to wake up. As she was entering tenth week, she was wearing a lot more dresses and leggings as opposed to her jeans and dress pants that she owned. Her morning sickness was at its peak during this month, which made her wish she didn't eat anything. However, she knew her baby needed it.

"Maybe you should get those lollipops that humans suck on," Ava commented as she walked in from the laundry room with her Esme's and Carlisle's clean laundry. Placing the basket on her bed, she heard more dry heaving coming from the restroom.

Esme lifted her head from the bowl and shook her head, wiping her mouth with the back of her hand. "If I could do it with you, then I could do it with this baby," she groaned, as she felt more dry heaves try to escape her body.

Ava shook her head as she placed the items that had to be hung aside on hanger's and folding the items that had to be folded. "Does that mean I cancel your meeting with your client later this afternoon?" her voice a bit louder, while she walked about the room placing the clothes where they needed.

There was a flush coming from the bathroom, the faucet in the sink running before she heard a hand towel being placed in their cute but useless basket in the restroom. "No, don't. I should be fine. I just will refrain from snacking on anything at this point," she sighed crawling onto her bed, covering her eyes with her arm.

Ava sighed, bringing the basket down and laid down next to her. There was silence between them for a while as Ava scrolled through her phone. "You're the most resilient woman I've ever met. You don't back down, and I wish I was half of the woman you are," Ava smiled, setting her phone down on top of her stomach as she looked over to her mother.

Both women looked at each other with smiles on their faces. Esme took this time to stare at her daughter intently. Her hair was the same length as Esme's if not just an inch shorter, her curls were more subdued from when she was Ava's age. There were ghost freckles sprinkled across her face, something that brought back memories from her human teenage years. Her face shape was similar to hers, but there were certainly some traits she took from her father. She hated the fact that she did, but it made her happy that Ava was mostly her.

"Oh, my Ava. You're a remarkable woman, I'm so proud of you, love. If anyone is resilient and determined it's you. If anything, you're everything and more," she praised her daughter, reaching a hand over to put her hand on Ava's cheek.

Ava smiled and leaned in to her mothers' caress, taking in the moment she's having with her. "I don't think so, but thank you," she whispered, putting a hand on Esme's belly.

"You were in an abusive home for much longer than I, and for that my dear, you are much stronger and determined than I was."

"Well, I'm glad Baby is going to be born into such an amazing and loving family, with great parents and an amazing sister."

**~.~.~**

Esme ticked off each day on her calendar in anticipation of Baby. She was slightly jealous of Bella, because Bella was only pregnant for a little over a month and she was able to meet her baby so soon. However, at the same time she was grateful because she knew that she'd have longer with her baby.

Leaning back in her chair, she unbuttoned her pants, seeing as it made her feel a little uncomfortable. She listened, staying still as much as she could, and smiled when she heard the sound she loved. Baby's heartbeat was louder and stronger now that she could hear it clearly.

"Hi Baby Love, thank you for making me and daddy so happy, we're so excited to meet you my love," she whispered, as she ran her hands over her belly. It was slightly swollen, and she could see the small little bump that wanted to form. "Be good for us, my love."

Carlisle was standing in the door way as he watched his wife interact with their unborn child, it enamored him even more if it'd be possible. He was seeing her in a new light, in a way that he's never been able to see her. He walked in and placed his hands-on top of hers, placing a kiss on her small baby bump. "Hello, my babies," he cooed, leaning up to kiss Esme on the lips.

"You're early." Esme smiled, glad to see her husband after his long shift. "I wasn't expecting you home until another hour or so."

Carlisle pulled onto Esme's hand bringing them to her couch, sitting them down there. "My surgery went remarkably well and finished my rounds early, so I decided to come home early to my beautiful wife."

"Babymoon."

"Baby-what?" Carlisle asked, confused to what his wife just babbled out.

Esme giggled moving the hair out of her face and nodded. "Yes, darling. A babymoon. I was reading up on it, and a lot of humans go on babymoons. It's a honeymoon of sorts."

Carlisle pondered the idea, of them going on a babymoon. Perhaps they could go to their island, or somewhere else for that matter. "That doesn't sound too bad, get away from the kids for a while, have it be just us two and Baby," he went off as different scenarios went about his head. "We can go to Greece; we haven't been there in a while. Or perhaps we can go to Isle Esme."

Esme pursed her lips at the thought of going to Isle Esme. Of course, she loved it there, however, she didn't want it to lose its magic. "Greece sounds nice."

They looked into each-others eyes for what seemed to be a couple of minutes. "Oh, reminds me, we have a fundraising gala this weekend, and then the Summer Fundraiser in a couple of months," Carlisle reminded her. They always went to every single fundraiser that the hospital threw. It was an excuse for them to go ahead and dance even for a couple of hours, for Esme to interact with other humans.

At the thought of the gala being this weekend, she made a face. Right now, she didn't feel like going out into public much, not because she was showing, but because she just didn't feel comfortable. "Do we have to go to this one?" her voice was soft, not wanting to stir the pot and have him become upset with her.

"We don't have to go if you're not up to it."

Esme looked up at him and smiled at him. "I'm sorry, I just feel like perhaps we can have a night to ourselves instead."

"You plan our night in, and I will be more than happy to deliver," he whispered, his accent becoming more prominent.

Her smile only grew and cuddled to his side, holding onto his arm as she took in his scent. The smell of antiseptic still lingered on his person. His scent was comforting to her, then it was Ava's, and soon it will be her baby's scent that will bring her the comfort she needed.

"Why don't we go bake?"

"I don't know how."

"I'll help you, my dear."

**~.~.~**

Esme was taking out her bowls and stirrers, placing them gently on the counter as Carlisle watched. He didn't want to get in the way as she was setting up her station. As he watched her move gracefully throughout the kitchen, he noticed that her button was undone from her pants, as he finally noticed the way her stomach was protruding slightly. His heart fluttered with joy as he knew that his Baby was growing inside the woman he loved.

"I don't have cocoa powder or eggs," he heard her mutter, looking at him with her doe eyes, and her plump lips were formed in a pout.

"Do you want me to run to the store?" He asked, motioning towards where the door would be.

Esme nodded her head, her shoulders slumped slightly. All she wanted to do right now was to stay in with her husband. "Maybe we can send one of the kids to the store?"

"Why don't we go, you can buy more items that you'd need," he suggested as he watched her slowly make her way towards him and buttoning up her pants with a smirk on her face.

"Let me go put on my shoes," she whispered standing on her toes to kiss him on his nose.

He waited patiently, as she walked upstairs and took a while to come back down. This time when she came back down the stairs, she had a knit sweater on with a pair of black leggings and some of her boots that went up to her knees. She certainly was dressed for the fall weather. "Why the outfit change?" he asked, he didn't mind it at all.

With a sheepish smile, she shrugged as she took her keys out of her purse, leading him to their garage. As they climbed in, she sighed, opening the garage door and driving off to town. "I feel more comfortable. Imagine when I'm eight months pregnant and I'm huge?" her eyes lit up as she imagined herself being that big.

"You'd look beautiful," he took her hand in his, bringing it to his lips. He leaned back in the seat, they alternated on who drove, much to his dismay.

Their trip to town was fast, as they grabbed what they needed, and then a couple more items as Esme didn't feel like going into town for the rest of the week. As Esme walked back to her car with the bag that held her cocoa powder and eggs, with a bag of chocolates, Carlisle then realized how she rarely dressed someone as her age would out in public.

Carlisle lingered back a little to watch as she walked. The way it looked like she was skipping, as she let herself be free when she was out in the open. Esme turned around with a grin on her face, walking backwards, as she noticed the way he was looking at her. "Admiring me, I see," she teased, slowing down backing up towards her car.

"Always, my love," he whispered placing a kiss on her forehead. "Let's go make those baked goods."

**~.~.~**

Esme grunted as she tried to button the button on her pants. Her skirts were getting tighter, and her leggings weren't doing it anymore. With a huff she kicked them off and laid on the bed in just her underwear and blouse. Her belly was a little bigger than what she was expecting at three months, but then again, her baby wasn't just an ordinary baby.

Carlisle walked in as he watched the way Esme was sprawled over the bed, with a pillow covering her face. A chuckle escaped his lips, Esme throwing the pillow away from her face to glare at him. "Not funny, Carlisle," she muttered, throwing him off as she

"I know it's not funny. You just look quite adorable, just lying there in your panties and your nice blouse."

Esme lifted her head to look at Carlisle who was ready for their date. "It's too cold outside to wear a dress, and I don't want people to give us weird looks," she huffed sitting up, looking over at her husband. "Baby is growing too fast," she said with a whimper.

"Your leggings don't fit anymore?" he asked, as he pulled leggings from her drawer. He walked over to her and took one of her legs, slowly putting one in at a time. Esme lifted her hips to let him pull them up. Once they got to her mid tummy, he saw the problem. It began to dig in to her belly. "I see."

"Now you see my problem," she glared down.

"Just cut it down the middle a little bit and wear a long sweater," Carlisle suggested with a shrug, walking over to their dresser pulling out the scissors that she usually used to hem pants and whatever the family needed.

Realization dawned on Esme's face, feeling a little silly as she didn't think about doing so. It wouldn't cut into her stomach if she snipped just a little bit. She took in a sharp breath as Carlisle gently tugged the waistband of the leggings and cut into it just a little bit every other inch. As Esme sat up, she felt the difference and felt so much better. "Thank you, love. I feel so much better," she sighed in relief, wrapping her arms around his neck.

"You're welcome, my love. Now, let's go meet our family downstairs."

They walked hand in hand downstairs, as they met their family downstairs. They were all dressed in fall colors and attire.

"Whose idea was it to go to a pumpkin patch?" Emmett scoffed, adjusting his flannel that fell open his black t-shirt.

"It was mine." Esme stated; her voice confident as she watched her family stand up.

"I think it's a cute idea," Ava piped up from her spot on the love seat.

"Thank you, sweetie. Now, lets' go."

**~.~.~**

"What if we just get a huge pumpkin and all of us carve a small piece of the pumpkin," Emmett suggested, as they walked around the pumpkin patch looking at the different sized pumpkins.

Ava rolled her eyes, picking up a decent sized pumpkin, and placing it on her wagon. "Emmett, just pick out a pumpkin, it's not that hard."

Esme and Carlisle were watching as they were all scattered around, Ava and Alice holding cup of hot chocolate, dumping it discretely whenever they could. Nessie, on the other hand, was drinking both hers and Bella's.

"To think this time next year, we're going to have a new family member to come to a pumpkin patch. Baby would like it a lot better than these scrooges," Carlisle chuckled as he watched the disinterest on Emmett's face.

Esme nodded, holding a tiny pumpkin in her hands. She admired it as she held it low, Carlisle noticed the way she was holding and quickly snapped a picture from his phone. "We should keep track of your belly growth," he whispered, showing her the picture. Her hair swooped perfectly down her face as she smiled down at the pumpkin, her wedding ring sparkling under the lights.

"It's perfect," Esme praised, looking at her husband with loving eyes.

"We have our pumpkins!" Alice squealed, pulling the wagon behind her. On the wagon was Ava laughing as she held the biggest pumpkin of them all, surrounded with a few other as well. "Oh, look they have a little photobooth station set up!" She gasped, pulling harder on the wagon, as Rosalie, Emmett, Bella, and Edward followed behind, Nessie tossing her cups into the trash.

"Come on, Mamma, Papa, let's go!"

"I can't wait until Baby comes to do this. Our family is almost complete," Esme smiled, happily looking at her family. Just a couple more months and she'll meet their new family member.

**Sorry for the late update, as the semester is coming to a close, I've been really busy its annoying. **

**Also, quick reminder, I had Esme give birth around summertime in HOTM so, I estimated that she'd be three months pregnant around October. **


	5. My Baby Love

**Fun fact: I always pegged Esme as the person to listen to Indie music. **

**Disclaimer: Stephenie Meyer is the rightful owner of Twilight.**

* * *

**~.~.~**

_Weeks 14-17_

The rays of the sun were shining through the sheer white curtains in Esme's and Carlisle's room. She was clad in her bra and panties, about to take a bath. As she stood in front of her full-sized mirror, she examined herself. There was a glimmer in her eyes, her lips curled up into a smile, as her hands roamed her belly. It has grown so much in a week; she felt like she blew up. However, she didn't care about how she looked, all that mattered was that Esme was having a baby that she assumed was healthy.

She looked down admiring her bump and sighed before walking towards her bathroom. Walking towards the tub, she leaned down to turn the knobs, letting the steam build up in the room. When she slid in the tub after ridding herself from the remaining clothing, she let out a content sigh, feeling the heat of the water bring comfort to her. Reaching for her phone that was laying on the edge of the tub, she scrolled through her playlist.

Pressing shuffle, she leaned back when she heard the opening of one of her favorite songs; it always lingered in the background as she painted or planned new floorplans for their numerous houses. Space Song by Beach House always seemed to make her feel at ease. Made her reminisce of her few happy human days, it reminded her of her first months of this life with Carlisle.

Her eyes fluttered closed, as she let the instruments take her away for a while.

Carlisle had walked into their room, loosening his tie before hanging it on the rack that they had in a corner. He knew Esme was home, her car was in their garage, yet it struck him off that she wasn't there to greet him. The sun was beginning to set outside, and their kids were going out to play of volleyball, as he found Ava rummaging around looking for their once abandoned netting.

Sliding his shoes off, he set them aside. He smelt Esme's scent nearby, but he couldn't quite picture where. Seeing as the door to their restroom was slightly open, the lights on and soft music coming from inside, his face was sweet; tenderness adorned his face along with love for his wife. He walked over and pushed it open to see his wife sitting in the tub, her pregnant belly protruding slightly out of the water. Esme's eyes were closed, and her head slumped slightly towards the brim of their bathtub.

Carlisle's dead heart fluttered, as he knew that she must have fallen asleep in the tub. Slowly, she was falling asleep longer. It no longer was her short naps; however, sometimes he would see her with her head laying down on top of her blueprints, sketches, or books. Quickly, he reached for the towel that Esme had set out, he effortlessly picked her up from their tub and wrapped her in the fluffy white towel. It was Esme's favorite, claiming that it was the style of cloth that she would have loved if she were human.

As he walked them over to their bed, he saw that she began to stir against him. He gently placed his lips against her damp hair. He sat her on their bed, before walking as quietly as he could around their room to get her clothing. Pulling out what he thought she would be comfortable in he made sure that she was still sleeping soundly, so he wouldn't tick her off if he woke her up. Carlisle only dressed her several times before in all their ninety-eight years together. Most of them were when she slipped up, and it seemed that she couldn't get out of their room.

He gently pulled a long sleeve over her body, slipped on her underwear, and a pair of cotton biker shorts. Carlisle laid there next to her, as she snuggled close to a pillow as he pulled the duvet over her body.

The sight of watching her sound asleep uninterrupted, made him wish he could sleep as well. Esme looked so peaceful while she slept; her face was soft; her lips were positioned in a small pout. He watched as her hand slowly went down to her belly. Carlisle ran his hands through her hair as if trying to untangle her hair. Carlisle let a couple of strands fall on her face, he found much more to fall in love.

So, he took off his shirt and hugged her as best as he could, admiring her sleeping face.

The moon was set high above them, the stars out and shining bright. The kids had long come back inside, he heard multiple showers going and the tv going on, with a movie playing in the background. Underneath his arm, Carlisle felt Esme slightly twitch as she stirred in her sleep. He was placing a kiss on each of her eyes, her nose, her cheeks, her forehead, then finally her lips.

Esme groaned slightly, stretching out her legs from underneath Carlisle's, she furrowed her brows together slightly, as she felt the comfort of her bed and the weight of the duvet making her feel amazing. Slowly, she opened her eyes to meet those of her favorite person.

"Hello, beautiful," Carlisle murmured, placing a kiss on her lips.

Esme smiled and reached an arm to hug him closer to her. "Hi, my love," she murmured, still groggy, "how long have I been out? How do I have clothes on?"

He couldn't help but laugh as he saw how confused she indeed was, Carlisle assumed that this was what humans call pregnancy brain. "You've been sleeping for two hours or so. I found you sleeping in the tub when I got home from the hospital."

Esme shot up, sitting up in the bed looking down at her husband with wide eyes. "I fell asleep while I was taking a bath?" she asked, rubbing her belly slightly. There was slight movement she felt going on within her.

"I'm afraid so, my darling. Why don't we get you something to eat? I'll cook," Carlisle smirked, helping his wife up and off from bed.

Esme gave him a crooked smile that she knew he loved and made him weak in the knees. "You? Cook? I want to see this."

**~.~.~**

Carlisle stood there in the kitchen, staring at the items in front of him; Esme was sitting down on the island snacking on some veggie chips that Carlisle had brought for her.

"You know, I can make my dinner, sweetie," Esme teased, as she watched Carlisle open and close the cupboards multiple times before taking out the container that held the rice.

Carlisle looked at her, knowing that she was getting a kick out of his discomfort. "No, I can do this. I know that you've done this for Nessie a couple of times," he muttered pulling out the rice cooker that was hidden away in one of the cupboards.

"For each cup of rice, add two cups of water," she reminded him, as she watched from her seat. Esme watched intently from her spot, as he carefully and measured each cup.

Her smile only widened as he began to wash the veggies as tenderly as he could. Esme couldn't help but notice how domestic he looked, how caring he was of her. The sound of carrots and broccoli filled the air; she turned to the side to see an array of tomatoes and bell peppers in a platter as he heated a pan.

"You look so hot," Esme murmured watching as he carefully dropped the veggies into the pan, hearing them sizzle when they hit the pan.

Carlisle turned to look at her, as she was running her eyes up and down his body. He noticed that she bit her lip momentarily. Looking down to examine himself, he noticed that he was only wearing his pants as he forgot to put on another shirt. "Well, the one who looks breathtaking is you, amore."

Climbing down from her seat, she walked over towards her husband, putting her hand over his while he was stirring the veggies that were currently sizzling in the pan. Esme leaned up to kiss his bare shoulder before pressing her cheek to his shoulder, wrapping an arm around his torso.

"Thank you," she mumbled against his shoulder.

Carlisle carefully scooped a generous amount of vegetables and rice onto her plate. Turning around he placed her plate onto her awaiting hands.

Esme sauntered happily back to the island and began to dig into her dinner.

**~.~.~**

The house was quiet like most days. The sun was hiding behind a cover of clouds throughout the morning, and the weather was beautiful outside. So, Esme put on a pair of overalls over her long sleeve and tended to her garden.

Putting in new soil, she heard footsteps coming from behind her. Not paying much attention to it, she continued with her gardening.

"You shouldn't be bending down, you know," came the soft voice of her blonde daughter.

Rosalie reluctantly bent down to kneel beside Esme, seeing as she had on a pair of light-colored jeans. Esme turned to her daughter, her curls falling out of her bun bouncing around her face.

"I should be fine; it's not like I do this all day every day," she said with a shrug, offering her a soft smile.

With a chuckle, Rosalie nodded her head and leaned back onto her heels, turning around to pick up one of her shovels, and began to re-root the roses back into the flower bed. "How many weeks now?"

"I believe I should be between fifteen and sixteen, already in my fourth month," Esme's voice was proud, sitting up straighter to caress her baby bump.

Reaching out a tentative hand, Rosalie let out a small whimper when she felt her adoptive mother's little rounded belly. "About the size of an avocado," she let out a laugh with a shake of her head, "you're lucky, Esme. To have the chance of being a mother again."

"I'm sure Emmett will come around, he's just scared," Esme said with a soft, sympathetic voice as she placed a hand over Rosalie's hand.

"It's not fair. I'm sure Carlisle had his doubts, yet he still let you do this," Rosalie whimpered digging her hands into the soil.

Esme sighed and dusted off her hands and sat down properly, placing her small shovel next to her. "Rose, Emmett will come around," she reiterated as Esme placed a hand on her daughters' shoulder.

Rosalie let out a sigh and nodded. "I wish I could have a baby as well. I mean, I know that Alice doesn't really care for having babies, but I for one, would give anything to have a baby; or even to feel normal for once."

"Oh, my sweetie, you will. Ava will be around for a long time; she'd be able to help while she and you both are around."

"I know, anyway, has Baby started kicking yet?" Rosalie tried to steer the conversation in a different direction.

Esme shook her head, with a sad smile. "No, not yet. At least I haven't felt Baby kick. I'm starting to get worried."

"Don't be. I read that most mothers don't feel their Baby kicking until later on. I remember Vera telling me all about it when she was about five or six months pregnant," she said with a slight giggle; remembering the excitement and the tears of joy that were streaming down her face.

"I'm sure I feel baby soon."

**~.~.~**

With a book and her phone in her hand and a cup of tea in her other, Esme made her way through the house and towards her garden. The fallen fall leaves crunched beneath her bare feet as she walked graciously through the yard. Esme sat her mug down on the edge of their fire pit as she sat on the sectional that surrounded it.

She was thankful; as she was numerous times throughout her long life. Esme was staring at the stars that were high above her. With a sigh positioned a couple of the pillows that adorned the couch so she could lay down a little more comfortable.

Esme was lost in her Nicholas Spark novel; she was a sucker for her romance novels as much as she was for her architecture reference books or even the few medical books that she found attractive in Carlisle's office.

"Ah, my book worm is outside," Carlisle's voice came from behind her. He noticed that she looked so comfortable as she took a sip from her tea.

"I wanted a change of scenery," Esme drawled out, flipping the page from her book.

Carlisle nodded, acknowledging that she certainly did change scenery. More often than not, he found her reading in his office or on the couch in front of the fireplace. "It's a beautiful night," he commented as turned on the fire pit, illuminating the night a tad more.

Esme looked up to her husband with a grateful smile on her face. "How was work?"

"It was easy, nothing too drastic," he pursed his lips as he fumbled with her phone. He pressed play on a song that Esme must have been listening to earlierc.

Esme's soft hums filled the air as the chorus came in, she reached over to run her fingers through Carlisle's thick and soft hair. "It reminds me of when I was first living with you," Esme hummed.

"I can see why," he whispered in response, lifting her to her feet and softly twirled her as a breeze came in, playing with her hair.

They moved side to side in front of the fire, the fire giving them a magical glow.

"Adeline," Esme breathed out; chuckling when Carlisle hummed in response, confusion in his tone, "I think if Baby is a girl, I want her name to be Adeline."

"Adeline…Adeline," Carlisle repeated, the name was rolling off his tongue so smoothly.

Esme nodded happily, "Yeah I think Adeline Luna would be nice."

"I like Jade," Carlisle pressed his lips to her forehead. "However, I heard it in Spanish when we were visiting Spain a while back," he mused, as he remembered how awestruck he was when he first heard the name. It certainly was different, and unique in his eyes.

"Adeline Jade?" Esme asked, trying to compromise. As much as she loved the name Luna, after meeting a little girl in the airport whose name was Luna, she liked Jade just as much.

"If Baby is a girl, her name can be Adeline Jade."

"I love it, my love. I love you," Esme murmured against Carlisle's lips.

Carlisle smiled and softly peppered her body in soft kisses until he reached her belly. Carlisle cupped either side of her stomach and pressed his lips to it, letting his lips linger on for a while longer. "I love you, and you, my baby love."

* * *

**The name Jade in Spanish is pronounced Hah-deh, I heard it once, and I thought it was beautiful.**


	6. Cinnamon

**So, I decided to write the chapters a little shorter, seeing as it's a lot easier and I won't drag it on. **

**Month five should be around Christmas time.**

**Disclaimer: Stephenie Meyer is the rightful owner of Twilight. **

**~.~.~**

_Weeks 18-22_

The noises that accompanied the mall overwhelmed Esme to an extent. Ever since she has conceived, her appearances in public were minimal. However, now that she was five months pregnant, she established that now was the time to update her wardrobe; Alice was more than eager to help her choose her new clothing items.

They chose a weekday morning to go to the mall; when the only population at the mall would be mothers with their children or college students working before their classes. Much to Alice's dismay, the duo sauntered into a department store where they could find better options for Esme.

Esme's bump has grown a gradual amount throughout the weeks, making her daily activities a little bit more strenuous than they already were. Esme, however, was still strutting around in her heels without effort. For the first time in nearly a century, she has felt insecure as everyone they came across has been staring at Esme. Perhaps it was because she was wearing heeled boots with her pants and white blouse.

Alice turned to look at Esme walking with her head low, looking up occasionally to look around the store. "Esme come on, you know they're looking at you because you look so freaking hot for a pregnant woman," she expressed as loudly as she could.

Esme opened her mouth to say something when she felt a cold hand on her shoulder. "I got your pretzel," Ava whispered; her voice was soft as she handed her mother the pretzel she requested when they passed the stand. Esme took the soft pretzel with a grateful nod, kissing Ava on the head.

"Thank you, my love," Esme cooed before taking a small bite from the cinnamon covered pretzel.

"Okay, let's go find some clothes that might make Esme feel comfortable," Alice sighed with a slight eye roll. However, she said it with a friendly tone.

Esme nodded, letting Ava carry her purse. "Are we only shopping for this month or all the impending months?" Ava muttered, slinging the small bag over her shoulder as she browsed the racks that held maternity blouses and pants.

"I say for the upcoming months, as well. Seeing as I don't like coming out right now," Esme scoffed, as she pulled out a button-down blouse. As much as she loved her baby and her baby bump, she couldn't wait until she could go back to her typical attire.

"Oh, this one is cute!" Alice squealed pulling out a long-sleeved dress with flower prints all over it, holding it up to Esme.

Ava nodded in agreement, wandering away from the maternity clothes and into another department. Esme watched as she wandered away, walking towards the jewelry section.

"She's just doing her Christmas shopping," Alice giggled as both women turned to look at Ava peering over the smudge-free glass.

Esme beamed at the thought of her child gifting her a present.

**~.~.~**

The Cullen residence was currently graced with the smell of pine, cinnamon, and hot chocolate. Right outside their tall glass windows, was the sight of a soft snowfall while it slowly blanketed the state of Connecticut. This Christmas was different for the family, seeing as this was the first Christmas that Ava had a family, Esme was with her daughter, and the Denali's weren't with them on Christmas day.

Esme sat on their pristine off-white couch, admiring their colorful Christmas tree; presents overflowing from underneath the Christmas tree. Ava nearly ran down the stairs, with her hair down and wearing the outfit she wore for the family portraits, much to Alice's disapproval with a hint of disgust. Sitting down next to her mother, she looked over at the tree decorated with gold and silver spheres, silver tinsel, and a glamorous star perched at the top of the tree.

"The Cullen's go all out for Christmas, huh?" Ava teased, looking over at Esme with her eyebrows quirked up.

Esme smiled as she ran her hands up and down her stomach, trying to feel for any kicking or turning from within, "We try our best," Esme remarked with a crooked smile.

Ava laughed and watched as the Cullen's slowly trickled in one by one, all dressed in the festive colors of green, red, and even white. They quickly fired up the fireplace as they had Christmas music playing softly in the background.

"Cheesy. I like it!" Ava cackled at the sound of Silent Night playing mindlessly in the background.

Esme smiled as she bit into a cinnamon cookie as she leaned into Carlisle's hug as he hugged her from behind. "It seems that our Christmas's are getting better and better as time goes on," Carlisle whispered in her ear, nibbling on her ear causing her to giggle softly.

Esme nodded in agreement, as she watched Emmett, Alice, Nessie, and Ava sat around the coffee table trying to assemble an extravagant gingerbread house. The look on her daughter's face of sheer joy, made Esme even happier if it was even possible at this point.

"For so long, my baby hasn't had a family," Esme trailed off, her gaze focused on Ava, imagining what life would have been if she had her daughter with her throughout all her life.

Carlisle nodded, tightening his hold on her slightly, his hand resting on her protruding belly, "Well, she has a family now, my love," he stated, his voice low and soft.

**~.~.~**

They watched a couple of Christmas movies throughout the night; all of them appreciate the company they shared.

"Okay, enough of those dreadful classics; I truly don't know how many times I can watch It's a Wonderful Life in one decade," Emmett huffed, standing up from his seat from the couch and walking away from the room.

Not a beat has passed, when Emmett re-entered the room with a large speaker and a couple of microphones in hand.

"Karaoke?" Ava asked, trying to suppress a laugh that was threatening to escape her body, as she watched Emmett set up his speakers, testing the microphones.

Alice nodded moving down from the couch to sit next to Ava, "Yes, we do this every year. It's fun for a while, and from karaoke, we move on to the gifts," she all but squealed and bounced with excitement, flawlessly catching the mic that Emmett tossed her way.

Ava looked up, as the beginning of a modern pop song played loudly, giving Esme a confused look, "How long?"

"Just until everyone goes once, they get bored fast," she winked over at her daughter, leaning back on the couch.

True to Esme's word, they did get bored fast once everyone had gone, a couple of them did duets, some solos, but that was the end of it.

"So how do you guys do this?" Ava asked Carlisle, as the rest of the family moved to sit closer to the Christmas tree.

Carlisle smiled and wrapped an arm around Ava's shoulders in a friendly manner. "Well, first they open up the gifts we get them, then the gifts Edward got everyone, and so on," he explained as best that he could.

"So who goes first?"

"Edwards starts us off, and we go in order of who joined the family."

"Gotcha" Ava sighed.

Esme was in the middle of reaching for one of the gifts that they had wrapped for Edward, she felt something flutter from inside, but it wasn't a flutter. It was a lot stronger than the recent flutters she was getting; it felt more like a kick. Esme gasped and held onto her belly, as she thought the kicking was getting stronger and faster.

"Esme?" Carlisle's concerned voice was all she heard.

Turning to face her husband, watching the way his brows furrowed in worry. With a shaking hand, she reached over and grabbed his hand and placed it on her stomach. Esme's fingers were lingering on his own, toying with his wedding band slightly as she waited for the baby to kick once again.

Carlisle's eyes widened when he felt the flutter of kicks against Esme's belly, her skin stretching slightly and feeling something small. "Oh my," he whispered, astonished by this feeling.

The family filtered out of the room amid the patriarch amassment and happiness, giving them a moment to themselves. "Our Baby Love is kicking," Esme cried out in amazement, her eyes glazing over as she felt the kicks all over the place, perhaps the baby was punching and kicking.

Carlisle nodded, his hands roaming around her stomach with his smile rivaling the Cheshire Cats grin. "Our baby Love is quite energetic," he mused as leaned down to kiss her belly.

Esme ran her hand through Carlisle's hair, messing it up just a tad; however, it still looked perfect. "This is the best gift," she said lovingly, as Carlisle came up to kiss her softly.

They both smiled into the kiss, each time even more amazed of the fact that they were graced with this beautiful miracle; for they can enjoy each step of the pregnancy just like any other human. "I have a gift for you darling, it may not be much, but meaningful nonetheless," he claimed as he reached over to grab a small box wrapped in a shiny silver wrap topped with a little red bow on top.

"Carlisle," Esme breathed out, looking up from the small box in her hands, as her fingers quickly worked to unwrap the box. Opening the top of the velvet box, she gasped and looked over at Carlisle with loving eyes. "A charm bracelet?"

Carlisle nodded and proceeded to take the bracelet from the box to clasp it around her wrist. Esme turned her wrist around, admiring the small charm that stood out. It was a little heart with the birthstone that represented the month of May, the month they anticipated Baby's arrival. "It's beautiful," she whispered, as she grinned from ear to ear.

They embraced each other, and they stayed like that until they heard a soft thud hit the window. When Carlisle and Esme turned to look at the source of the sound, they saw a snowball had hit the window, and Emmett may have been the culprit. All of their kids were waving their arms to get them to go outside and join in their snowball fight.

"I think this is my favorite Christmas, so far."

"As it is mine, my dear."

"I love you."

"Not as much as I, my love."

**Found it quite silly writing about Christmas in May, but I'm content with the length and content of this chapter. **

**Thank you for the support I have gotten. Getting back to writing has been a little hard; however, I remembered why I loved it so much. **

**I digress. **

**Thank you once more, no words can describe how happy I've felt. **


	7. Blissful Glow

**Disclaimer: Stephenie Meyer is the rightful owner of Twilight. **

**~.~.~**

_Weeks 23-27_

It was one of those rare afternoons where Esme had the whole house to herself; normally Ava was there with her or Carlisle when he worked night shifts. However, she loved having the house to herself, partly because she liked the feeling of being selfish and Esme was able to go ahead and eat to her hearts desires without having anyone object.

Carlisle and Esme had decided to go ahead and have their babymoon at her island, seeing as they would rather be out in the open, letting the sun wash over them as they leisured out in the white sandy beach.

The luggage's sat empty on their bed as Esme stared at the open closet, pondering what she could take on her trip. Considering that their island was completely isolated, she couldn't help but feel insecure. Of course, she thought, there was nothing to be anxious about; she was carrying life inside her. Esme pulled out one of her old bikinis that she wore to their last trip and pondered if she should pack it in her luggage. With a sigh, she gently tossed it onto her bed and continued with looking for potential outfits.

Within the hour, Esme was zipping up their luggage, looking up at the clock waiting for Carlisle's arrival. Once he got home from his shift, they'd head out to the airport as they would commence their babymoon. Esme frowned when she noticed the time, Carlisle was an hour late. He was never late.

Esme slipped on her shoes and wrapped her cardigan close to her body, as she descended the flights of stairs before walking into their family room. Esme sat on their couch, pulling her feet underneath her pulling the throw blanket over her body.

She must have dozed off while she was waiting for Carlisle to arrive because she felt a pair of arms carry her out to the garage and safely strap her into the passenger seat. Esme stirred awake, blinking trying to adjust to the lighting in the car still stationed in the garage that fluorescent light, nearly blinding her.

The driver's door opened, and Carlisle gracefully slid in carrying a lunch pail that they had lying around as they tried to fit in when the kids would pack themselves gag lunches. Esme smiled when she saw the lunch pail that Carlisle had chosen; it had little bats all over it, and she remembered Emmett once put two pieces of bread together with just mayonnaise and tossed in a thermos filled with the blood of a squirrel.

"Thank you, love," Esme squeaked out taking the pail from his hands giving his lips a peck on the lips.

Carlisle smiled, caressing her hair, "You're welcome, my dear. Off to our babymoon."

Esme giggled and nodded, pulling up the blanket across her lap, holding onto her husband's hand as tightly as she could.

**~.~.~**

The sun was setting beyond the horizon when the airplane hit the tarmac, and for that the vampire couple was thankful. They went through customs and baggage claim without a problem, and they were quickly out of the airport. Even though she had slept the whole flight to Rio, Esme couldn't help but still feel tired the drive to the docks.

Carlisle was so supportive, offering her refreshments or snacks when she would briefly wake from her deep slumber. He held her close to him as they drove through the busy streets, as he inspected small families taking afternoon strolls to the nearest food stand or place. It made him smile at the thought that he was soon to have his children.

Esme stirred softly against his shoulder, stretching her legs. "Carlisle?"

"Hm?"

"I'm hungry, do you think we can stop by a store or something? We need food for the house anyway," she mumbled, her eyes still closed.

Carlisle chuckled and nodded, instructing the driver to head to the nearest grocery store.

Soon after, they came out with an abundance of snacks and different ingredients to get them by for a month. Esme chuckled as she held onto her bag of dried fruit, while Carlisle loaded the car with their groceries.

**~.~.~**

Carlisle watched the way she slept; it quickly became his favorite pastime during the dark hours. He observed the way she twitched slightly, the way her fingers absentminded stroked her very pregnant belly, how her lips curled into a small smile. Or when she was having nightmares, he was glad he was able to stop those by slowly waking her up with tender kisses to her forehead all the while rubbing her stomach reassuringly.

Esme whimpered as the sun slowly flooded the room, lighting up the room, making the white curtains, duvet, and pillows look brighter than they were. Squeezing her eyes shut, she reached over and felt for Carlisle's hands. Their fingers locked before she covered her eyes with his hand.

Carlisle chuckled and shook his head as Esme placed his hand over her eyes. "Good morning, sleeping beauty," he whispered, lightly kissing her nose.

She smiled, slowly removing his hand to peek up at him, with one eye still squeezed shut. "Good morning, prince charming," she teased before pulling a pillow to her face.

"What time is it?"

"A quarter past eight."

Esme groaned throwing the blanket off of her, getting up to go ahead and prepare breakfast, "I need food."

With a laugh, he helped his wife up and walked her towards the kitchen. Once there, he sat her at the table while he took out the pancake mix and the ingredients that were needed, per the back of the box's instructions.

"I love seeing you so—domesticated," Esme giggled, as she watched the way he mixed the pancake batter in the large mixing bowl, his hair tousled while wearing lounge pants and a t-shirt that showed off every sculpted muscle of his body

Carlisle turned to look at her with a grin of his own, as he took in the image in front of him. There she was, her hair in a messy bun, with an emerald green nightgown that showcased her beautiful stomach that housed his kids. Throughout the pregnancy, she's had this glow to her that made her look glorious, ravishing, breathtaking. "I love seeing you so, pregnant. I'm going to miss your pregnant stomach," he pouted, as he poured some of the batters into the pan.

Cradling her stomach with one hand, she reached her hand to grab a couple of grapes. "I'm going to miss the belly, too. To think at one, point our baby was the size of one of these grapes," she trailed off, examining one of the green grapes that was so small against her palm.

He sat a stack of pancakes in front of her, besides the bottle of syrup, "Bon apétit," he grinned, kissing her forehead.

Esme eagerly dug into the stack in front of, letting out a small moan of delight, enjoying the delicious pancakes that nearly went down smooth. "You've become a lot better at cooking than I, my dear," Esme said, taking a sip of the orange juice that Carlisle had handed her.

"That's hard to believe, darling."

**~.~.~**

Their trip to the island was soon coming to a close, seeing as they were only out there for five days, they tried to make the best of it. Esme went out of the house to find Carlisle checking the boat, loading it up with some snacks for Esme.

"What are we doing?" Esme asked, placing her sun hat with a broad, floppy brim on her head, her sundress flowing slightly in the wind.

"Thought we'd have a picnic," he smiled up at her after pushing the boat off the shore and into the water. Carlisle held out his hand for her, easing her onto the boat.

"A picnic? On a boat? In the Ocean?" Esme cocked her head to the side, holding onto one side of the boat, as Carlisle rowed them deeper into the sparkling blue water. "Oh, you brought a camera!" she squealed, taking the camera out of its casing and quickly snapping a picture of Carlisle. His skin was glistening in the sun, a bunch of tiny little diamonds across his pale skin, the way his muscles flexed with every arm movement. "You look hot."

Carlisle laughed and rowed once more before he set his paddles down to the side and opened up the basket that held an assortment of fruits and a sandwich that he had created. He gently took the camera from her hands and took a picture of her. The way she looked against the sparkling blue water, her hat slightly covering her face, but Carlisle could still see her radiant smile. "My beautiful queen," he murmured staring at her.

"Oh, Carlisle. If I were able to blush, I would be red. You know how to make a woman feel amazing," she whispered, unwrapping the sandwich, throwing him a shy smile.

"I would only know how to make you feel amazing," he corrected, inching closer to her, fixing her hat slightly before aiming the camera towards her, "smile, love."

Esme did as she was told, before bursting in laughter at how adorable he looked, taking pictures of her.

"I want you to have pictures of your pregnancy, Es," he stated, taking a close up of her stomach, her hand resting gently on top of her bump.

Esme's face fell slightly, letting out a long sigh. "Thank you, Carlisle. It's such a change from the first time I was pregnant. I'm glad I have someone to share this with," her somber voice was barely audible, her voice cracking slightly as a knot formed in her throat. "Someone who loves me."

Setting down the camera beside him, he took her hands in his, his fingers grazing over her wedding ring. "I'm glad to share these amazing moments with you, darling. You are deserving of everything beautiful and pure in the world. My love for you has grown every second of the day," Carlisle brought her hands up to his lips, kissing every finger, every knuckle.

Esme smiled, and nodded, kissing him on the lips, "How did I get so lucky?"

"How did I get so lucky?"

"Alright, take all the pictures! Then when we get home, we can have a proper shoot."

Carlisle smiled and grabbed his camera, as Esme took off her hat and posed in different ways, almost as if she was trying to seem sexy, he knew she was messing around; however, she did look so beautiful. "As long as the stars are above you, I will love you; and longer if I may," he whispered, reminding her once more of his love for her and their unborn child.

**This semester has kicked my butt. However, I'm almost done, so that means I get to work on this story a lot more once I'm on break. **

**More-so a filler chapter, seeing as this is around the six-month mark, contemplating combining month seven and eight into one section. **

**Also, should I continue a few months after Esme gives birth? Keep the original twin storyline? Let me know! **


	8. Gray Foxes & Milk Bath

**I am doing month seven and eight in this chapter.**

**Also, I just did a whole makeover to my Tumblr that I created when I was around eleven, so maybe I'll add stuff for my fanfic there. It's violethourx if you'd like to check it out. **

**Disclaimer: Stephenie Meyer is the rightful owner of Twilight. **

**~.~.~**

_Weeks 28-35_

The finishing touches of the nursery were being added by Esme and Carlisle late one night. The nursery was on their floor; Esme had Carlisle, Emmett, and Edward move her belongings from the studio to the other room, so that way, the nursery was closer to their bedroom.

Esme was stocking the drawers with socks and onesies that are neutral colored, seeing as they didn't know the gender of the baby. She hummed happily, at the thought of her baby being born soon, and she was able to meet the baby as more quickly.

Everything in the nursery seemed perfect in her eyes. The walls were a soft gray; Ava had painted a tree with a baby fox reading a book on a swing, the crib matched the walls and dressers, the rocking chair. Esme sat down on the rocking chair, admiring the room in front of her. The sound of the door opening to the nursery alarmed her slightly but smiled when Carlisle walked in with the wicker laundry basket filled with a couple of blankets and clothes.

"You're still up?" Carlisle asked, setting the small basket on the dresser. He was hoping that she had gone off to bed; he found the little yellow blanket buried in one of her drawers, still carrying the scent of her child. He wanted to set it up in the crib, a surprise of sorts.

Esme nodded and reached for his hand so he could help her up from the chair. "I couldn't sleep; therefore, I decided to stay up," Esme mumbled, as she walked towards the dresser where the basket was perched, "There's more?"

"Yeah, and I'm sure there will be more when the baby is finally born," Carlisle chuckled, not sure how Esme was going to react when she found the yellow blanket in the basket.

Esme nodded, putting away the small assortment of blankets one by one, her fingers froze when she noticed the worn out sheet at the bottom. The edges frayed where Esme seemed to finger when she was having a bad morning. She felt her heart sink, seeing the soft fabric there. "Where did you find this?" Her voice was soft, swallowing the lump forming in her throat.

Carlisle hesitated, watching her fumble with the small blanket in her hands, bringing it to her nose, "I found it when I was putting away your laundry when you were napping the other day," he admitted, hanging his head. He felt small, slender fingers lift his chin and there he was face to face to his wife's beautiful face.

Esme smiled and leaned up on her tiptoes to press a kiss on his lips, "I love the gesture, Carlisle. I didn't think you would add this part of my life to our new one," she whispered, folding and unfolding the blanket in her hands.

"How could I not? I love all of you, including your past, I have a beautiful relationship with Ava, don't I?"

Esme shrugged, placing it on the crib, so it hung over the railing. "You do, and I appreciate it, my love, I do. Thank you," she mumbled against his lips, leaning as close to him as she could get.

Carlisle smiled and placed his hands on her stomach, he kneeled and lifted her silk camisole, placing a kiss to her stomach. "Be good to your mommy in there, my baby love," he murmured between kisses. The sound of Esme giggling caused the baby to go into a frenzy, kicking and punching happily.

"Baby loves your voice," she sang happily, rubbing her belly trying to ease the excitement going on in there.

"Mm, I believe baby loves your voice a lot more than mine," he smiled up at his wife, before going ahead and placing one last kiss to her rounded belly.

**~.~.~**

The kitchen was covered in flour, cocoa powder, and baking soda.

Ava grumbled in frustration as she tried to scoop an equal amount of cookie dough onto the parchment paper, however, every time unsuccessful.

Esme and Ava were set to go to the hospital and take down some cookies. Esme usually always takes baked goods to the hospital every month, but ever since she's conceived, she hasn't gone out much, and let alone go ahead and take some cookies or cupcakes to the hospital.

"Use the ice cream scooper, you'll get even amounts each time," Esme commented from her spot in the kitchen, as she packaged the cookies in threes in small baggies.

"Why didn't you tell me this earlier, mother?" Ava teased, as she rummaged through the drawers looking for the scooper.

Esme shook her head, placing the bags into the basket, turning around to see Ava happily place the cookie dough onto the sheet, this time. "So, after we deliver these amazing delicacies that I hope I didn't ruin," Ava drawled out, hopping onto the marble counter facing Esme, "we're going to do your pregnancy photo shoot, correct?"

"You just mixed all the ingredients after I measured them out, and scooped them onto the cookie sheet," Esme rolled her eyes with a smile, "but yes, we are going to do the shoot after."

"Okay, because I have the perfect idea for the photoshoot!" Ava announced proudly.

"I trust your artistic eye, sweets," Esme agreed.

The drive into the city was pleasant, besides the fact that they hit a bit of traffic driving into Hartford. It was made bearable due to Ava's singing in the car and unnecessary dances.

"Tell me how you can't like Old Town Road?!" Ava cried out, as they stopped at a stop light, turning to look at Esme rub her hands over the stomach.

Esme made a face, and looked out the window, watching as a couple of pedestrians walked across the street, one woman was arguing over the phone while she held onto a child's hand, a man glued to his phone, and a couple holding hands. "It's just not my cup of tea," Esme shrugged with a smile.

Ava sighed dramatically, placing her hands on the steering wheel as she stared off into the distance, "You're into that indie stuff. Let's go see The Marias when you have popped," Ava teased, turning left when the turn signal indicated to do so.

**~.~.~**

"You'll do fine, love," Esme cooed, watching as Ava tensed up when she stepped out of the car.

Ava shook her head, taking the basket from Esme's hands, and followed her into the hospital. Esme sighed; Ava has been to the hospital a handful of times, mostly when Carlisle's Mercedes was in the shop and he had to be at work before Esme woke up or after she fell asleep.

As they walked through the automatic doors, the hospital was relatively quiet; there was only the receptionist in the front desk who looked bored as she stared down at her phone, presumably. When she looked up at the sound of footsteps, her mouth opened wide at the side of Esme. "Hello, Mrs. Cullen," she greeted with a smile, her eyes lingering on her stomach.

Self-consciously Esme caressed her stomach, as she felt baby kicking furiously inside of her. "Hello, Valerie, nice to see you," Esme smiled politely, nudging Ava with her foot to greet her, even if with a short wave of the hand.

"We haven't seen you around here, Mrs. Cullen. You're glowing congratulations."

"Thank you, Valerie. Here, we brought some cookies," Esme sang, handing her the bag of cookies that she had prepared.

Valerie took them gratefully and congratulating Esme once more before they left.

"Did you see the look on her face?" Ava whispered as she followed Esme towards the elevators.

"I did, it's hard to get used to," Esme shrugged as she juggled the cookies in her hands, they were to stop in the pediatrics floor and drop off half of the cookies, and then drop off the rest in the emergency room.

As they were walking through the halls, Ava felt so out of place and awkward. Esme walked around so freely as if she worked here herself. Esme smiled at all the attendings, fellows, nurses, interns, and everyone who walked by. Before Esme and Ava could knock on the door that led to Carlisle's office, he came out with his coat hung over her his arms, while he held onto his medical bag.

"Ah the word is true," Carlisle murmured against Esme's eyebrow, rubbing her stomach with his free hand, while Ava gagged teasingly.

"That your beautiful and pregnant wife is in the hospital?" Esme's eyebrows perked up, as he led her towards the elevators, with Ava hot on their heels, as she winked at every young male in the room. "Ava, stop it," Esme scolded, hearing the way their heartbeats quickened.

"It's fun!"

"Stop it."

"Fine."

**~.~.~**

Carlisle watched as Esme curled the last pieces of her hair, as he buttoned his button-up shirt. "You look beautiful," he whispered, placing his hands on her shoulders.

Esme leaned up to place a kiss on his chin, "Thank you, darling. You look, dashing."

Carlisle opened his mouth to say something, but before he could breathe out a word, Nessie knocked on their open door. "Mamma, Papa, Ava says we have to go now before we lose the lighting."

"We're going, Ness."

"Okay, hurry! She said if you don't hurry, that she'll bring mud in the house."

Esme sighed and pushed her chair back, letting Carlisle help her up from her bench. "Let's go, before Ava dumps buckets of mud on the white carpet."

Carlisle laughed and followed Esme down the stairs, where Ava was waiting with her camera, and her light reflector, her hair in space buns while she wore a black long sleeve under an overall plaid dress, with a few garment bags by her feet.

"Finally, I thought you guys were never going to come down!" Ava grumbled, handing Nessie her light reflector, and a garment bag.

"Where are we going?"

"You'll see."

The four trekked through the forest, slowing down and stopping when Esme needed the rest. The sun was beginning to set throughout the trees. Ava led them to a clear opening, filled with roses and lavender. "Okay, I need you to dress into this one and put on this," Ava instructed, putting the garment bag in Esme's hands, and handing her a flower crown.

"Honey, where am I going to change?"

"Behind a tree," Ava shrugged.

Esme looked at her with a baffled look on her face and slowly retreated to the closest tree. Unzipping the bag before her, she smiled at the dress that was in there. It was a blush dress with lace quarter length sleeves, with a slit on the right side and a train. Her daughter did know what would make her feel comfortable.

Quickly slipping it on and placing the flower crown on her head, she held onto the train and walked over to her awaiting family. Carlisle looked over, and she saw his eyes glaze over. "Wow," was all he was able to breathe.

"Wow, Mamma, you look amazing!" Nessie exclaimed.

"Thank you."

"Okay, Carlisle, I need you to hold onto Esme's belly. Mama, I need you to place your hands over his," Ava instructed, placing where their hands should be. Stepping back, she nodded in approval and began to take pictures, moving in different angles.

The rest of the photo shoot went well, as Ava had them take pictures together, some with Esme by herself, and a whole lot of photos of the baby bump.

"Okay, so I had Emmett help me out with this one," Ava giggled, as she and Nessie skipped over a little further from the couple, motioning for Esme and Carlisle to follow along.

Esme followed along, holding onto Carlisle's hand. "What do you think they did?" Esme whispered as she watched Ava and Nessie pour water and a white liquid into something. As they got closer, she noticed that it was a white tub in the middle of the field, with a couple of pieces of lavender, pink, red, and white roses floating in the water. "It's a milk bath, two gallons of milk and the rest is water," Nessie chirped happily, handing Esme the other garment bag. "Change into this one next."

"Will do."

Esme got rid of the previous gown she was wearing with the help of Carlisle and slipped into the just lace black dress that Ava had provided. "Ava?"

Ava turned to look at Esme, who was adjusting her flower crown, as she timidly made her way towards them. "Yes, Mama?"

"Thank you, baby," Esme engulfed her daughter in a hug, stroking her hair.

Ava's brows furrowed in confusion, but she hugged her back, as much as she could for that matter considering Esme's belly size. "For?"

"For giving me this gift," Esme choked back, "and for helping this pregnancy so beautiful and fun."

"You're welcome. I love you, mama."

"I love you too, honey."

**Let me know what you guys thought. I've decided to go ahead and continue at least until they're in pre-school or doing as I'm doing in currently; each chapter is a new month and once they turn one, each chapter can be a year. **

**So, let me know what you guys think, I would love to know your thoughts!**


	9. Finally

**Disclaimer: Stephenie Meyer is the rightful owner of Twilight. **

**~.~.~**

_Weeks 36-due date_

Esme rolled over, trying to find a comfortable spot to sleep in. Baby has gotten so big since the last time Carlisle measured her stomach. It seemed as if Esme had been bedridden, per Carlisle. He didn't let her do much around the house, the rest of the kids did the housework at night when she was sleeping; Ava would help her around while everyone else was out before Carlisle got home from his shifts at work.

With a loud grunt, Esme fluffed the pillows underneath her as the door opened to their bedroom. "Carlisle let me do some gardening," she whined, feeling his weight shift the bed slightly, inhaling his scent.

"Believe me, love, I would love nothing more but to give you what you want, but you're almost ready to give birth, and we need you to be as relaxed as we can get you," he explained, kissing her shoulder.

Esme huffed and buried her head in the pillow, enjoying the way he ran his fingers through her hair, slowly letting his hand wander off to her belly. They were so eager to meet their little bundle of joy. "I say the baby is going to have your striking blue eyes, with your blonde hair, and is going to be tall," Esme mumbled out of nowhere, feeling Carlisle lull her to sleep.

"I hope the baby has your caramel hair, with your curls," he murmured against her shoulder, wrapping a hand over her.

"However, the baby comes out; our baby is going to be perfect."

"Oh, before I forget," Carlisle's head shot up from her shoulder, rolling her over to her back and smiled when Esme gave him the side-eye jokingly, while she sat up, "The hospital is throwing its summer fundraiser in a couple of weeks."

"Put me down for the baking, I can't do much this year," Esme placed a hand over his. Every year, she would always help out with the decorating and theme planning; however, seeing that she was pregnant and at the end of her pregnancy, there was only so much she could do.

"You sure? You don't have to do anything if you don't feel up for it, we can go show up and write the check," he said, pulling her to his chest.

Esme pursed her lips and shook her head slightly, still wanting to help out. "I'll do the baking; it'll keep me occupied."

"Whatever my beautiful wife wants, she'll get."

**~.~.~**

Esme moved from the couch in the family room to her studio, from her studio to her bedroom. That's all she did; sometimes she would go in and hang out with Ava, today was no different.

When Esme walked into her daughters' room, she saw Ava moving around the furniture in the room, noticing the walls were a light gray with pastel purple accents. "Redecorating your room?" Esme asked, sitting down on her bed, seeing that the bedding has been changed.

Ava shrugged, placing a throw blanket on the bed, and plopping herself next to Esme. "I wanted a change of scenery."

Esme sighed, noticing the way she has been for the past couple of weeks. Everything about her was off, and it seemed as if she isolated herself from the family as much as she could. "Hey, Carlisle and I are driving to Hartford once he gets back from work."

"For?"

"Well, the hospital's fundraiser is coming up, and I'm doing the baked goods," Esme explained further, watching as Ava toyed with a rose that she had plucked from her vase at her bedside. "You should come with, get out of the house," she said hopefully.

There was a moment of silence; the sound of the wind rustling the leaves in the trees sounded deafening. "I'll go," Ava agreed.

"Perfect, thank you, hon."

This time, Ava cracked a genuine smile and nodded, "Anything for you, mama."

Two hours later, Carlisle, Esme, and Ava were driving into Hartford, with minimal conversation from the other party, seeing as she was in the backseat, however, she had her head sticking out the window for the majority of the trip. Esme watched the way she walked around the store aimlessly, sometimes wandering off on her own.

"Ava has been alone for a while, she reminds of Edward when it was just us three," Esme commented, holding onto Carlisle's elbow as he pushed the shopping cart around the store.

Carlisle turned to watch Ava stand in the middle of the aisle staring at what was in front of her. "She just found her family, love. She'll find her mate," he comforted her.

"Who's going to find her mate?"

"Oh, Nessie." Esme tried to play it off.

"Okay, I'll see if I can get that cashier to faint. He's been eyeballing me since we walked in," Ava winked and quickly turned on her heel.

"Ava, don't!" Esme called after her daughter, not bothering to go after her.

"Too late, love."

"I know."

**~.~.~**

That Saturday morning, it was all calm in the Cullen residence, despite a couple of them groaning and moaning every couple of minutes, complaining that they don't want to go to the fundraiser. However, Esme was in significant discomfort since dawn.

Esme didn't plan on waking up at the crack of dawn; however, at the feeling of her abdomen cramping, she felt herself wake. No matter how tight the contractions were getting, she squeezed her eyes tight, not wanting to bother Carlisle, who was typing away on his laptop.

Esme wrapped her arms closer to her body, in hopes of easing the pains going up to her spine, or the feeling of her uterus clenching. So, she laid there for the next three hours, before she hopped into the shower after Carlisle got out.

The next couple of hours, before the clock struck twelve, Esme was laying on the bed wearing her dress, her hair in a loose ponytail. It seemed as if the more she tried to keep track of her contractions, it felt as if with every single cramping or shooting pain, she lost track.

"Ready, love?" Carlisle called from the doorway, wearing his button down and slacks, his hair neatly combed out, with a concerned look on his face. "Are you okay, Es?"

Esme nodded, trying to hide the fact that she felt pains radiate through her body, "Ready, and I'm fine," she assured, running her fingers through her hair, cradling her bump.

"We don't have to stay long," he tried to comfort her, which he only got a nod after she grabbed her duster from the rack.

They were to meet their children at the banquet hall that the event was being held in, and their kids were to meet them there within an hour with the cupcakes, cookies, and brownies. The ride was silent, with Esme's head against the glass as they drove. The pains have gotten a lot stronger; however, she tried to ignore the feeling.

Once they got to the event, she was bombarded by Carlisle's colleagues when they walked through those double doors.

"Carlisle, Esme! The rumors are true!" One of Carlisle's coworkers called out, as she emerged from the flock of doctors and nurses surrounding the bar. She was one of the pediatric doctors that worked in the hospital; a doctor that Esme had come to become close with throughout the time that they have lived in Connecticut.

Esme smiled at the doctor, her brunette hair curled in loose waves around her face, she looked a lot younger compared to when she was working. "Hello, Blanca, it's so nice to see you," Esme greeted her with a hug.

"Wow, when they said you were pregnant, I assumed you would've been only a couple months, but it looks like you're about ready to pop!" Blanca laughed, leaning back to take in Esme's appearance.

Esme smiled, feeling Carlisle's hand slip from her waist, knowing that he was going to greet his other coworkers, knowing well that they were going to hug her. "Yeah, I'm about nine months pregnant," Esme nodded, as Blanca tentatively reached her hand out to touch her belly.

"Wow, congratulations Esme," Blanca smiled, knowing that Esme had long wished for a baby of her own, "Do you know what you're having? Oh, we could've thrown you a baby shower, Esme!" Blanca gushed, as a nurse came up to them to greet Esme as well.

"We decided not to know the gender of the baby," she lied.

"Well, I'm going to grab some pasta; it's to die for!" Blanca left with a wiggle of her fingers in goodbye.

Not long after the rest of their kids made it to the event, all of them quickly secluding themselves to a table in the back, playing some card games.

Carlisle was still in deep conversation with the rest of the other doctors, so Esme was stuck making small talk with the rest, trying to escape and find Blanca once more, seeing as she was the only one who she truly did enjoy talking too.

Esme wasn't paying much attention to anything that was going around her, as she was distracted by the contractions. Esme tried to stay as calm as she possibly could through it all.

However, her head whipped at the sound of a dodgeball crushing the nose of someone. Before she could even react, Alice had tripped Ava on purpose so Emmett and Edward could effortlessly escort her out without making a huge scene. Her mouth was open, partly because she felt as if she could keel over in the pain that she was feeling, but because she knew her daughter needed her.

Excusing herself from the table she was at, and she waddled outside as fast as she could

"Esme!" She heard Carlisle call after her multiple times, but she ignored every single one of his cries for her, knowing Ava was in distress.

"Wait! I need to go with her!" Esme cried out, catching up to Edward and Emmett, her heartbreaking seeing the way they were restraining her, the way she thrashed around in their arms.

"Okay, let's go," Edward mumbled helping Esme up into the car.

The sharpest pain she felt shoot up her spine made her gasp; the baby was on its way, and her daughter was in a frenzy.

**~.~.~**

"We're here. We're here." He repeated, stopping the car in front of their door, hurrying to her door, and gently helping her out of the vehicle. "Carlisle's here. He's here. Baby is going to be fine." Scooping her up as best as he could, he ran her inside.

"Carlisle!" He called standing in the foyer, setting Esme down on her own feet.

Carlisle ran to Esme's side, helping her stand up straight as she tried to keel over in pain. "Esme, love everything is going to be fine." He cooed, walking her down to one of the spare rooms that he set up for her weeks prior, in anticipation of the birth.

"Get Baby out, now!" Esme growled, laying down on the bed that he had set up in the room. Leaning on the pillows she groaned, Carlisle pulling her bottoms off. He placed her legs in the position that they needed to be, slightly opening them so he could get a good look in there. "Oh, I'm never sleeping with you again, Carlisle Cullen!"

"Sweetheart, you're ten centimeters dilated already. It's time to push." He said coming up after examining her.

Esme threw her head back onto the pillows, opening her eyes to see Edward walking into the room as he rushed to her side. "Esme, you're going to be fine." He cooed, taking her hand wincing in pain as she squeezed his hand as tight as she could do it.

"Ava, I need to know where Ava is." Esme panted out.

"Love, you need to start pushing."

So, Esme pushed and pushed as much as she could; however, she slumped over once more and whimpered, shaking her head.

"Keep pushing, love." Carlisle soothed, looking up to see Esme shake her head, as Edward placed a couple of ice cubes to her lips.

"I can't do it." Esme cried out in pain. There were two pains she was feeling at the moment — the birthing pains and the fact that she didn't know if her daughter was okay.

Edward sighed and stroked her hair softly. "Ava's fine, Emmett is with her."

Mid scoff, Esme was interrupted when she felt another contraction. She was suppressing her groans and yelps. "Esme, you need to push. A couple more pushes, and you're done." Carlisle reminded her as he saw the head begin to come into sight.

"Carlisle, I've been pushing for an hour!"

"A few more pushes, love."

Esme sighed, squeezing her eyes shut and reminding herself that every push was worth it. She was going to be meeting the baby soon. She couldn't wait until she met her baby, her kids' new sibling. With the last push, she felt like she was going to fall apart. She didn't remember her previous birthing to be this hard, yet again, she didn't know she birthed twins at the time.

"Okay, Baby is crowning. Give me a few more pushes." Carlisle mumbled, leaning to kiss Esme's knees trying to comfort and encourage her as much to his abilities.

Esme tried to push her hardest, but she felt utterly weak. She couldn't do it anymore. "Carlisle, I can't." Esme sobbed, sitting up higher up.

Carlisle sighed, seeing the head, his baby's beautiful head in plain sight. "Honey give me a few more pushes and baby will be here. Baby will be all yours."

Esme nodded and obeyed his orders. There were a couple more pushes coming from her end, plenty of words of encouragement coming from both Carlisle and Edward. All that was on her mind was this baby and her adult vampire baby; that was all that she was thinking about.

Suddenly, she felt the baby leave her body. She fell back onto the pillows, sighing in relief. The sound of a baby crying and nippers were cutting the umbilical cord. "I need Baby." Esme breathed out, running a hand over her face. She needed to feel her baby.

Edward was cleaning baby off when she felt another contraction. "Carlisle, I thought the second heart was her heart," Edward asked, concern in his voice, clearly having a one-sided conversation with Carlisle.

"Carlisle?" Esme panted, feeling herself unwillingly push more.

"Seems like we were blessed double. Okay, I need you to push again. Baby number two is crowning, and now you need to push. Push!" Carlisle instructed, bracing himself to deliver their second baby. He wasn't blessed with just one, but two babies.

"You lied to me!" Esme groaned while she was pushing. She was fighting harder this time, knowing that she was going to have another baby.

She had a feeling there was going to be two babies. The constant eating, her feeling the way she felt when she was pregnant with her first set of twins. It amazed her that she was blessed twice to have twins; she was blessed to have been allowed to love both babies with all her might.

A second cry filled the room, Esme let out a small laugh, looking down to see Carlisle cutting the cord once more, and wrapping her baby up in a blanket. "My babies, I want my babies," Esme whispered, holding her arms out for her babies.

Edward was quickly by her side, sitting down on edge with a small bundle in his arms. "Esme, meet Adeline. Adeline Jade Cullen" Edward smiled down at the tiny baby bundled in his arms. Carlisle liked the name Jade, so they compromised and decided if the baby was a girl, that she'd be Adeline Jade.

Esme gasped looking down at her baby, she smiled when she saw that she had Carlisle's blonde hair, it was short and sparse, but the blonde hairs were prominent. "Oh, my beautiful baby girl." Esme cooed, stroking her small face with her finger. Her tiny little face scrunching up slightly.

Carlisle smiled down at the other bundle in his arms after cleaning the second baby up. It was their baby boy. Nicolas William Cullen. He was beautiful; he noticed that he had small little dimples gracing his small face when he pursed his lips, his hair had the same colored hair as Esme and Ava.

They made beautiful babies. "I'll leave you two alone." Edward smiled at the two new proud parents before exiting the room.

"We did it." Esme smiled, not looking up from the baby in her arms. Her baby finally had a name. Correction, her babies finally had names other than just naming them baby.

**Not very fond of this chapter, seeing as there was only so much, I could work with. **

**Anyway, I found a couple of my old fanfics and I was wondering if you guys would like to read some of them, of course I would revise them and spruce them up. **


	10. Baby's Breath

**Disclaimer: Stephenie Meyer is the rightful owner of Twilight.**

**~.~.~**

_Newborns- One month_

Adeline – or as Ava had nicknamed her AJ – was resting in Carlisle's arms as he rocked her back and forth on the rocking chair, watching the way she fed on the bottle of the milk that Esme had pumped previously. Their twins have been in this world for only a week, and the whole family was utterly enamored with the newborns.

In just these few short days, he's fallen in love with their twins. He spent the hours that the twins were sleeping, admiring them. Both of them had Esme's skin complexion when she was human, both of their cheeks a rosy pink, both of them had the same pouty full lips that Esme had. However, he noticed that AJ furrowed her brows the same way Carlisle did and that Ava gave iam - another nickname – pursed his lips whenever Esme or Carlisle didn't get milk in his system fast enough rivaled Carlisle's.

The opening and closing of the door to the room made Carlisle look up from his gaze at his tiny daughter in his arms. Esme came in with Iam wrapped in a towel, as he moved his tiny little fists in the air, as Esme cooed at him.

"You know, I feel like Miss. AJ is going to be the loud one," Esme teased placing Iam on the changing table, quickly yet gently wiping him dry, before rubbing lotion on his body.

Carlisle smiled, standing up slowly, careful not to jostle the sleeping baby in his arms. He slowly made his way to her crib, tucking her in. "It's too soon to notice, love," Carlisle whispered, turning around ever so slightly, not wanting ever to stop looking at his baby. He grabbed a onesie from one of the drawers and handed it to Esme, as she held onto Iam with one hand and tried to rummage through the drawer that held their onesies.

"Mm, I beg to differ. See, when I was bathing AJ, she wouldn't stop moving around, and she cries the loudest when she's upset," Esme smiled, handing Iam over to Carlisle.

Looking down at his son, he kissed the top of his head, letting Esme place little mittens on his hands. "My handsome little boy," he cooed watching as Iam yawned and softly smacked his lips. "You're going to have daddy's personality, which is good. We're already outnumbered by having three females in the house with the same personality; your mama, your older sister Ava, and your twin AJ," he whispered, stroking his finger across his little face, before placing him on the other crib that was right next to AJ's.

Esme stood back, watching the way Carlisle interacted with his babies. It melted her heart to see the way he interacted with the twins. It still amazed her to this day that they have not just one, but to babies of their own. Something she's always wanted; to have his children. He was so gentle and loving, something she always longed for. She was glad after all these years; she finally had it all.

"Alright, they're sleeping, which gives us about three hours before Iam or AJ wakes up for their midnight snack," Carlisle laughed, taking Esme's hand in his and leading her out.

They slowly walked back to their room, glad that their teenagers are so quiet. It took them some time to adjust their noise level; however, they managed. "I don't like leaving them," Esme whimpered, stripping free from her clothing.

Soon after the twins were born, she began to wear more comfortable clothing, as opposed to her usual dresses, skirts, blouses, and heels. Slipping on her nightie, she crawled into their bed, feeling her body relax after tending to her babies all day.

"Neither do I darling," Carlisle called from inside their closet, as he too was changing into his night clothes.

"We can co-sleep."

"Darling, you're slowly weaning off of your sleeping, and what if you roll over on them?" Carlisle asked, sliding into bed next to Esme.

Esme scoffed and shimmied closer, so her head was resting on his chest, "Carlisle, you don't sleep. You could care for the babies whenever I do sleep," Esme tried to reason, "We can move the cribs in here."

"They have their nursery, darling. And no, we're not moving our bed into their room. I still remember when I found you sleeping in the rocking chair," he teased her, playing with Esme's curls, as she traced her fingers along his chest.

"I wanted to make sure they were fine," Esme defended herself, hiding the smile on her face. There were plenty of nights where she wished she could sleep closer to her babies, or them closer to her.

"You bring them here when they begin to cry," Carlisle reminded her.

"You take them back."

**~.~.~**

No matter their lack of needing sleep, having two newborn babies in the house was a lot of hard work. Ava and Carlisle tried not to leave her side, seeing as the teenagers that were going to school, were in their final weeks of school, and a couple of them were graduating for the umpteenth time.

Esme was walking down the flight of stairs with AJ in her arms, with their laundry basket in the other. "Okay baby love, once we get to the laundry room, I'm going to set you down in the bassinet, okay?" Esme cooed, kissing the top of her little head.

Of course, AJ couldn't respond, however, the way she stuck her little tongue out made Esme smile, and she took that as her response. Gently placing AJ in the bassinet, she stared at her for a while to make sure that she wasn't getting fussy, before moving on to put their clothes in the washing machine.

Carlisle came down with Iam in his arms, trying to console the crying child. "There, there, my baby," he talked to him in the baby talk he didn't know he could do.

"Does my baby want me?" Esme called from the laundry room, pouring in the laundry detergent that Ava went out and bought specially for the babies.

Carlisle followed the sound of her voice and rocked the child in his arms, "He's been crying since you left with AJ."

Esme smiled, wiping her hands on the hand towel before reaching out for Iam. "Hi baby boy, oh yes daddy is scary," she giggled in her best baby talk, as she rubbed his back as his cries slowed down to whimpers.

"He doesn't like me much, neither does AJ," he looked down, upset at the thought of neither of his children like him.

"They like moms best, but they love you, Carlisle. William and Jade love you, darling. Do you not see the way they stare at you when you talk?"

Pursing his lips, he took Iam back from Esme's arms so that she could pick up AJ once more. "I guess they do; it's just so different fathering a bunch of teenagers and then two little newborn babies?"

Esme smiled and led him towards the family room, with the bassinet in one hand. Rosalie had gone out to buy them portable bassinets, which made it so much easier to set them down whenever they needed. "Carlisle, you're an incredible father so far. This is the first time I'm a mother to babies in a way, my love," Esme reminded him as she sat down next to him, watching AJ and Iam flutter their little eyes close; their hazel eyes hiding behind their eyelids.

They sat there momentarily watching the way they breathed, listening to their heartbeats. They both had the same mannerisms when they slept; they both drape an arm over their eyes when they're not clothed.

"I finally get to see my babies grow," Esme whispered, her eyes glazing over. Esme lost the chance with Joseph and Ava, nonetheless grateful that Ava was alive, and she was blessed to meet her daughter. She was given this new chance to be a mother once again.

"We finally have children of our own," Carlisle whispered back, not taking his eyes away from his children. "Carmen and Eleazar are coming down this weekend."

Biting her lip nervously, Esme nodded reaching forward to pick up AJ momentarily scared that she was going to wake up the sleeping baby. "Do you thi—do you think they'll tell anyone?" Her voice came out loud, a knot forming in her throat.

Nothing scared her more than the thought of losing her babies in the arms of the Volturi. Of course, she knew Carmen and Eleazar or Tanya and Kate for that matter wouldn't go ahead and inform the Volturi; however, she had to protect her babies at all costs. Her mama bear instincts were high, but now with those babies, they were in overdrive.

"Mama!" Ava's shrills echoed through the house, as the front door slammed shut.

"Oh, these hours of peace and serenity are over," Esme teased, her index finger stroking the babies button nose.

Ava came in tossing her bag on the love seat, beating Carlisle to pick up Iam as he began to stir awake. "Mama, I was driving from Hartford, and I ran into Emmett! So, he began to speed like a maniac, and a deer ran right in front of him!" Ava recounted her eyes wide, the corners of her lips curving into a small smile.

"What happened?" Carlisle sighed, standing up, getting ready to get his keys.

"He swerved, and he ran his car into a tree. Rosalie, Alice, and Renesmee were with him."

"I'll go pick them up," he sighed, walking to the counter where their keys were.

Esme watched him leave as she bounced the baby in her arms. "You seem to have some joy out of their misfortunes," Esme smiled, placing her finger near AJ's mouth to see if she was hungry.

"He needed to stop driving like a maniac."

"That won't stop him."

"I know," Ava shrugged, smiling at William, "Oh, which reminds me! I want to do a photo shoot with the twins. I saw these cute photos on Pinterest, and I want to see if I can recreate them! Then we can put them in a photo album along with all your pictures from the pregnancy!"

Esme couldn't help but laugh at her daughter's excitement, watching the way her eyes lit up when she mentioned the photoshoot. "I was thinking of doing a family portrait again," Esme chimed in.

"We can do that too, but it's going to be focused primarily on the babies."

"Okay, let's do this."

**~.~.~**

"Wow, Zellie, you've taken charge of doing this photo shoot for the babies," Emmett teased, as he helped her set up the backdrop in one of their spare rooms.

With a roll of the eyes, she set everything she needed for the photo shoot aside, with the help of her sisters and niece, she picked out the color scheme. The adults were to wear white, along with the twins, while the accessories were either a pastel pink or blue. "Alice and Rose can have their family portrait, but when it comes to my baby siblings, I'm in charge," Ava muttered, comparing two bows for AJ.

"She did, after all, have a hand in helping us have them," Esme teased as she walked in carrying both babies in both of her arms effortlessly.

"Where's Pops, Ma?" Emmett's brows furrowed, taking his brother in his arms.

"He had to run to the store and buy more diapers and wipes," Esme informed them, a small smile on her lips. "He'll be here soon."

With that, the whole family filed in one by one. "Pass me, the prince!" Rosalie called, rubbing her hands together with the biggest smile on her face.

"Okay, I need both babies for the photo shoot, guys!" Ava grumbled, placing a headband on AJ's hair, that held a dusty rose flower in the middle with one fake jasmine flower.

"Oh, my princess!" Esme cooed happily.

"Hi," Ava turned around, with a teasing look on her face. Esme rolled her eyes as she swaddled AJ in her pink wrap while Rose swaddled William in his blue blanket. "Set them down here, please," Ava murmured, fixing the faux fur in the basket, taking one baby at a time and placing them there, watching them as they stirred slightly.

In that, Carlisle walked in and stood next to Esme; pride was written all over his face. "They look amazing," he breathed out.

"We make perfect babies," Esme smiled, watching as Ava walked around with the Camera taking pictures at different angles.

"Our perfect babies."


	11. Bears, Foxes, and Cows

**Disclaimer: Stephenie Meyer is the rightful owner of Twilight. **

**~.~.~**

_Two Months Old_

"Hold the babies at an angle when feeding them," Esme's soft voice instructed Carlisle, as he held Iam. She resisted the urge to giggle at the sight of her husband, who's hands typically were steady; his hands were shaking while holding the bottle.

Carlisle nodded, propping his son slightly, putting the bottle in his awaiting mouth. "Like this?" he asked.

"Perfect, love," she encouraged him with a grin on her face.

Carlisle was so timid around his children; they look so fragile and tiny. Little by little, he was mustering the courage to go ahead and care for his kids. Iams big doe eyes stared up at him as he fed, and all Carlisle could do was smile at the sight. They were changing every day it seemed; their faces were getting fuller, as were their little bodies.

"You're hungry, huh, bud?" Carlisle chuckled, Iam suckling at the bottle with rapidly. "Mama doesn't feed you enough, huh, baby?"

Esme laughed, propping AJ against her shoulder and patting her gently to burp her. Soon, however, she felt a warm liquid going down her shoulder. "She spit up on me, didn't she?" Esme sighed, with her lips quirking up as she heard her coo happily.

"Yeah, and it's a lot," Carlisle laughed, mimicking Esme's movement of burping, hoping that Iam wouldn't spit upon him.

Esme quickly stood at the sound of a rapid knock on the door, attempting to keep the babies relaxed, as they were almost asleep.

The babies have an established routine, which Esme and Carlisle were entirely thankful for. AJ was the first to sleep and wake up; it astonished Esme and amused Emmett, seeing as she was so energetic she was quick to wake and sleep. Iam, on the other hand, pretty much refused to sleep; however, he woke whenever the sun sang to him.

So, when she heard the excessive amount of knocking, opening the door in one swift movement, she scolded her oldest daughter, before letting her in. "Ava, you know that the babies fall asleep around this time," she said in a hushed tone.

Ava brushed her off, reaching to kiss her baby sister on the head, causing her to go ahead, stick out her tongue in a playful manner. Quickly moving on, she walked over to Iam and did the same thing to him. "I was in town, and I walked into this store looking for some cardigans, but instead, I found these bad boys!" Ava announced, taking out a couple of onesies.

Esme set the sleeping girl in her crib and quickly examined the onesies that Ava had bought. It was two red onesies with a fox face on the hood and a tail by the bottom, the next set was bear onesies, which were her favorite by far, and another set with cow prints.

"These are my favorite!" Esme gushed, showing Carlisle the bear onesies, as he set Iam in his crib.

"Are these cows?" He asked with his brow quirked up in amusement, at the mental image of his children crawling around in cow onesies. "Emmett is going to have a field day," he laughed, knowing all too well about his sons' antics.

"Who cares, these are cute! Seeing as the babies are aging at a semi-normal speed, I got them for every stage in their short little infant stages," Ava shrugged, carefully folding the onesies and placing them on top of the changing table.

"They're growing so fast," Carlisle trailed off, pulling Esme on top of him, rocking them gently. With that, Ava rushed out of the room, taking it as her cue to leave the room.

Esme snuggled up close to him, as they both watched their babies twitch suddenly.

**~.~.~**

Esme fiddled with the sleeves of her cardigan, staring at the car seats that sat empty before her. Without much explanation, her babies were very much human; like any other human baby. With that in mind, they had to do pretty much everything that any parent would do with their babies. That included check-ups, and that was Esme's dilemma.

Rosalie came down the stairs carrying both babies in one arm each, after getting ready for the day. "Ready?" Rosalie smiled at her adoptive mother, in hopes of encouraging her.

"Can't Carlisle just do it?" Esme whimpered, taking a seat in each hand, opening the door that led to their garage.

Rosalie chuckled, as she followed her to the garage and stopped in next to her mother, as Esme installed them correctly, moving them slightly to make sure they were secure. "No, you know he's not a pediatrician. Besides, he'll meet us there, and he can ride with you back," Rosalie tried to reason.

Esme sighed, reaching to take Iam from Rosalie. "I just hope it goes well," Esme murmured, nervous.

After ensuring that they were secure, they drove off to the clinic in town. Throughout the ride into town, Esme was lost in her thoughts. It truly amazed her how Renesmee was a half breed, yet her children were very much human. Eleazar did tell them that Ava's gift was to help couples conceive human babies. That's just what happened; they conceived human twins.

Rosalie parked next to Carlisle's Mercedes in the parking lot and helped Esme carry the baby seats into the clinic. Right, when they walked in, the cold air greeted them, and the sound of a whimpering baby filled the room. Esme quickly spotted Carlisle inside, filling out the correct forms that needed to be filled out.

Carlisle looked up after switching to the other clipboard, he smiled at his wife and got up to take one of the carriers from Rosalie so he can see his baby. He relished every second with his kids, never realizing how much he'd miss his family if he were away for a couple of hours now, even if it was throughout the night now.

"How's my cute baby love," he cooed, taking out his son from the car seat and his smile only grew when his son smiled back at him. "Daddy missed you," he whispered, kissing his small nose.

"What about me? Or AJ?" Esme teased, taking the clipboard and filling out the rest, before taking it back to the reception area.

Looking around the room, she noticed a couple of kids toys in one corner of the room, a table with a magazine for the parents, and the walls had animal print wallpaper. It was cute for a pediatricians office. "Do you know the doctor?" Esme whispered, watching as Carlisle played with Iam.

"I do, he's a very well-respected doctor, one of the best I may add," he smiled gently at his wife, trying to reassure her.

Esme sighed and nodded, taking his word for it.

"For Adeline and William?" A nurse came out, with both files in hand. Esme sighed and turned to Rosalie as she stood up and waved. Bye, before walking out the door.

They followed the nurse to a room through the hall and into a place that had a colossal elephant decal on the wall. Esme took AJ out from the car seat and hugged the baby to her chest. "Hello, so my name is Dalia, and these are Adeline and William?" The young nurse asked as she typed away on the computer in the corner.

"Yes they are," Carlisle replied, swaying with Iam against his chest, "we call them AJ and Iam, though.

"Iam and AJ got it," she smiled, taking a tape measurer from her scrub pocket, "Okay, I'm going to measure them, so if you can set down Iam first," her voice was soft, as she gestured towards the table in front of them.

Carlisle did as he was told, and Iam put up little to no fight, as she took his vitals and took his measurements, along with his weight. With AJ, however, she wailed at the top of her lungs once Esme laid her down on the table. Esme's heart was torn, seeing the tears run down her small face, the minute that she was being examined, seemed like an eternity.

"Alrighty, she's all done. Doctor Brooks will be in here shortly," she sighed with a soft smile.

Esme quickly took the wailing baby in her arms, as she tried to soothe her, "Oh, my pretty baby," she cooed, rubbing her back softly, and bouncing softly.

The doctor's visit went rather smoothly, save from the wailing that came from both babies once their shots were given. They stayed in the room until the twins settled down briefly before they went home. Once they were back, Esme placed both sleeping babies in their respective cribs.

Walking into her room, she sat down on their bed, letting herself fall back. "My heart breaks whenever they cry," Esme whimpered, as she felt the bed shift with Carlisle's weight.

"I know love; my heart breaks as well," he sympathized, pulling her close to him.

"Carlisle?"

"Yes, my love?" He asked, running his hands through her hair.

"What are we going to do?" Her voice was soft, and she didn't know what was to happen when their babies were older.

Carlisle's brows were furrowed in confusion, and his fingers froze mid-stroke. "What do you mean, darling?"

"Well, AJ and Iam aren't anything like Ness. They won't stop aging once they hit seventeen; they'll keep aging." Esme spaced out; she was grateful that they were going to have time with their kids. However, she didn't know if they were going to change them.

"Ah, I see," he mumbled, shifting himself, so he and Esme were facing each other. "We can leave it up to them, right?" This topic was something he hadn't thought about. How does one go about and make such rash decisions?

"Of course, I want them to grow up and see the world as freely as they can; I want them to experience all the things that our other kids weren't able to. However, I can't see myself sitting beside them on their deathbed, or their funeral for that matter, Carlisle," Esme's voice was cracking, she felt her eyes glaze over at the thought of her kids no longer being in the same earth like her.

Carlisle nodded in agreement, lost in thought. "If they do choose this life, however, they'd be deprived of many human experiences, but they'll be with us forever," he added.

"Precisely, darling."

Carlisle and Esme sat there, staring into each other's eyes, as they pondered the thought. "What would happen if they don't want this life?"

"Watch them live their lives, encourage them through every step of the way. However, I don't think I would be able to go on without them," Esme whimpered.

"At least you would know that they lived a long and beautiful life," he tried to comfort her, but he knew that he too, would be heartbroken beyond belief if they were to lose their only biological kids.

Esme smiled, wrapped her small hands around him, burying her head in his chest, "We have roughly eighteen to twenty-one years before they chose, and whatever they chose, we will fully support," Esme concluded, convincing herself of this.

They lay there, with their eyes closed for the longest time, being interrupted by the sharp wail of AJ.

"I'll get her," Carlisle kissed Esme's forehead, before leaving their room to go comfort their distressed daughter.

**Do you guys like these chapters, the basically summarize what happens in that specific age of their infancy or should I group them?**

**Anyway, this is my last week for the semester and I'm so excited! **

**Hope you guys enjoyed! **


	12. Daddy Duties

**Disclaimer: Stephenie Meyer is the rightful owner of Twilight. **

**~.~.~**

_Three Months_

The scent of bubble bath infiltrated the room, with soft music playing the background. Carlisle walked in with Iam in his arms, wrapped in his yellow bathrobe as the baby babbled in his arms. This was Carlisle's favorite _daddy duty_ as Emmett playfully called it. It allowed him to have that one on one with both of his twins. Esme would sit on the counter or on the toilet and watch as Carlisle would pour the water over them, or rub the shampoo gently into their hair, however, this time he was flying solo. Esme was out with the girls for the evening, after Carlisle insisted that she needed a couple hours to herself.

After making sure the water was at a perfect temperature, he sat Iam on the counter as he gently took off his bathrobe and placed him on the water. Carlisle smiled as he kicked his legs inside the water happily, as he splashed the yellow rubber duck happily around. "You're happy huh, bud?" Carlisle smiled, reaching over to grab the baby shampoo pouring a bit onto the cloth and gently rubbed it on his head.

Iam closed his eyes as if it soothed him, and Carlisle couldn't help but chuckle. For such a young infant, his mannerism resembled Carlisle's, even though he could be stubborn like his mother, but that was all AJ. "The times I've watched your mama bathe you she sings you a song, I'm not much of a singer so maybe I can read you a book after," he commented, pouring the water over his head, ridding him free of any soap in his hair.

He moved on to clean the rest of his body, and after that, he let the infant play in the water, watching as he tried to shove the ducks head into his mouth. "We don't eat ducks," Carlisle snickered, moving the duck swiftly away from the baby's mouth.

Iam stared at him with an incredulous look, how dare his father take away his duck. So, Iam went on to whimper and his little mouth looked like he was about to start crying. "That can work on mama, baby love," he sighed as he kept whimpering, "I think it's time for you to come out."

Gently lifting Iam from the tub, he wrapped the bathrobe around him, and walked towards their nursery, as Iam whimpered the whole way there as he played with the thin gold chain around Carlisle's neck that held his cross.

Walking in, he noticed AJ was still awake, as she kicked away, babbling to herself. Carlisle quickly lathered Iam up in lotion, powdered his diaper, and put on his onesie. Grabbing a bottle, he poured the correct amount of formula into the water and shook it as fast as he could so he could feed Iam. "Alrighty, I'm going to take you guys back to my room, sound good baby loves?" He asked, picking up Iam and swiftly adjusted the boy so he could pick up AJ with the other.

"Wow, I'm getting the hang of this," Carlisle smiled at himself, as he held the bottle in one hand and walked out the door.

**~.~.~**

Carlisle created a mountain of pillows, as Iam laid on top of them, playing with the blanket around him, while AJ was rested on his chest, as he laid down.

"Okay, first up is _Love you Forever,"_ his voice was soft, as Carlisle positioned the book so all three of them could see the pictures just right.

The sound of the pages flipping and perhaps the way Carlisle's chest vibrated when he spoke, lulled AJ to sleep midway through the book, however, Iam was still wide awake. Carlisle kissed the top of AJ's head and positioned her next to him and brought his son to lay were AJ was. "Okay, another one, bud?" He asked his son and grabbed the other book that was on his other side, "Up next we have, _Goodnight Moon_," he whispered, and smiled at Iams enthusiastic kicks.

Right when he turned the last page of the book, he heard the steady breathing of his sleeping son, and gently moved him to lay next to his sister.

There Carlisle was, staring at his two little miracles with a smile that rivaled the Cheshire Cats grin. He couldn't believe he was blessed to have these two beautiful bundles of joy in his life. The love he has for them is a different type of love he didn't think he could feel; it was a new type of love. He couldn't ask for more in life; he had his beautiful and extraordinary wife, his rambunctious teenage kids and granddaughter, and he had his two angels. Everything else in life was just icing on the cake or the cherry on top of his sundae.

Carlisle was lost in his train of thoughts, as he was staring at the twins, still amazed at the miracle in front of him. He didn't notice when the car pulled up the driveway, or when the girls filed in to the house, or when Esme made a bee line to the nursery in hopes to find her babies sleeping their cribs or her worried gasp followed by hurried footsteps to their room.

Esme let out a sigh of relief when she saw the sight in front of her. Quickly fishing out her phone from her purse, she snapped a picture of her husband lying next to his babies. It looked like he was sleeping, however, when she got closer, she noticed that he was admiring his babies.

"They look so peaceful," Esme murmured, rubbing AJ's little tummy after she jerked suddenly in her sleep.

"They are," he smiled, propping himself up on an elbow and leaned up for a kiss.

Kicking off her heels, Esme slid into bed, so the babies were in between them. This was her favorite part of the night, coming home to her babies and her husband, even though she had a lovely time with her daughters, daughter in law and granddaughter, this is where she rather be.

**~.~.~**

The day was beautiful outside, the sun was shining, and Esme's flowers in the garden were in full bloom. So, Carlisle and Esme made way towards the garden with one twin each, a diaper bag for any necessities was draped over Esme's shoulder.

Carlisle handed Esme AJ, so he could set the blanket down underneath the shaded area in the garden, and quickly took her from her. "Tummy time," Carlisle sang laughing as he gently set her down on her tummy. AJ quickly tried to lift herself up on her arms but failed.

"You know my baby is not the best when it comes to tummy time," Esme laughed, mimicking his moves and put Iam down on his tummy. He had a better time at lifting his head or lifting himself on his arms for longer.

"This is why she needs to do more tummy time, love."

Esme smiled as AJ turned her head and saw that she was staring at the red flower bed, with a butterfly flying around the flower bed. "Look, she's so intent with the butterfly," Esme said in awe.

Carlisle looked up from his fiddling with their toes and gazed over in the direction where she was staring, indeed there was a butterfly fluttering about. AJ started babbling and cooing her as she tried to go ahead and lift herself a little higher this time. "She's doing it," Esme gushed, a grin appearing on her face as she saw that she was holding herself for a bit longer.

"I knew my princess could do it," he cheered, "she's definitely your daughter."

Esme stuck out her tongue playfully and reached over to run her fingers through Carlisle's hair. "AJ is totally going to be a handful," Esme had on a remorseful look on her face, leaning her head on his shoulder.

"Maybe she'll be a tree climber like her mama," he laughed, as they both watched over their twins.

Esme shook her head and sighed at the thought of her daughter wanting to be outside at all hours of the day. "Maybe now I'll understand my mother," her voice was soft. There were times she missed her mom, despite the way they treated her when she was married to _him. _

"You're going to be supportive and even be climbing trees with her," Carlisle tried to steer the conversation in a different direction.

"Maybe Iam would be the biggest book nerd like his daddy. How cute would he look with glasses and curled up with a book on your lap while you're also reading your own book," Esme babbled on, the mental image so vivid in her mind.

"Poor boy is going to be teased."

"No, he won't, he'll be fine. If he has my stubbornness, he'd probably not have any of it," she laughed, as she looked over at her baby boy.

Carlisle straightened up Iam, seeing as he was lopsided at his point and was beginning to get fussy. "The hospital wants to meet them," he whispered.

Esme quirked up an eyebrow, amused. "We've been a bit selfish with the babies, haven't we?"

"Just a tad, take them over on Friday. They're still upset that they didn't get to throw you a baby shower," he teased, leaning back against the tree, pulling Esme with him.

"Still?"

"Still."

"Well, let them know that Adeline Jade and William Cullen are making their debut appearance on Friday morning," Esme announced in her best English accent, trying to keep a straight face, despite Carlisle's amused grin.

"Can we start using Jade and William as their names?" Carlisle blurted out.

"AJ and Iam are cute nicknames, for now anyway."

"Pick up your princess, because she's lopsided and it looks like she's about to throw a fit," Esme pointed out, shaking her head as she reached over to grab the struggling baby. "I couldn't ask for a better family," Esme sighed.

"We lucked out. Completely and utterly blessed."

"Blessed indeed."


	13. Autumn Leaves

**Disclaimer: SM is the rightful owner of Twilight. **

**~.~.~**

_Months Four and Five_

Esme sighed frustrated as she bounced Iam as he wailed loudly while rocking the rocking seat that AJ was in with her foot while she sat on the couch in the family room. They've been fussy all morning and only when they were napping, were they fine.

"What's wrong?" she whispered to Iam as his face was red and wet with tears, she couldn't find a reason why they were getting so fussy, Iam especially.

Just as she was about to stand up and start pacing the room, Emmett, Rosalie, and Ava came in from their hunting trip. "You look frustrated, Momma," Emmett smirked when he saw the look on Esme's face while she shifted Iams weight on her arms.

Esme scoffed and shook her head. "Handling two twins on your own is frustrating," Esme mumbled and closed her eyes when she heard AJ being to whimper.

Rosalie quickly took Iam from her arms and held him in her arms, swaying back and forth while Ava picked up AJ from her seat. "Where's Carlisle? Shouldn't he be home right now?" Rosalie asked, rubbing the infants back.

"He's working a double shift," Esme sighed, plopping down on the couch and covered her eyes with the back of her hand.

Ava's brow furrowed as she turned AJ around, so she was facing Esme, while she bounced her. "Why don't we take the twins and you go take a bath or something."

Emmett nodded, prying AJ from her hands and gently tossed her in front of him, causing AJ to laugh with joy, "Yeah, we can take them on a walk or something. Then you and pops can go on a date," Emmett offered, continuing to toss his baby sister in front of him.

"Are you guys sure?" Esme asked, biting her lip. Esme was sure that her kids were more than capable of caring for the twins; it was the fact that she has never left their side for more than an hour or two.

"Yeah, we can handle them." Rosalie smiled, trying to soothe the crying baby.

"Okay, thank you. You guys know where their bottles are, there's a diaper bag next to the couch filled with wipes and diapers," Esme let them know where everything was that she thought that they might need.

Esme placed a kiss on both of her baby's head and proceeded to ascend the stairs, at the fastest speed that she could. It's been a while since she's had some alone time since Ava came to their family, since she got pregnant, and since she gave birth to the twins. Walking into her bathroom, she pulled out the candles that were hidden under the sink and the bubble bath; this was something she needed.

After lighting the candles as careful as she could, she rid herself from her clothes and slid into the scalding hot water, enjoying the way the steam rose to the top. Esme closed her eyes and drowned out the world once she heard both of her baby's laugh.

**~.~.~**

The twins calmed down a while after Emmett, Rosalie, and Ava tried to entertain them. There was a moment when they wanted to take them on a walk, but they couldn't figure out the strollers or the baby carrier.

_Emmett stared at the folded strollers that were in front of him while Rose bounced a babbling Iam, and AJ paced around the room with AJ. "So, does anyone know how to work these things?" Emmett mumbled, rubbing the back of his neck as he picked one up while it was still folded. _

_Ava peered over his shoulder, trying to get a better view and shrugged. "I only know how to help people make babies, other than that; I don't know anything else."_

_With a roll of his eyes, Emmett bent down and tried to unfold it but instead heard a small crack, "Ava, sometimes you can be a real smartass," he scoffed. _

_"Well, you can be a dumbass sometimes," Ava smirked. _

_"Hey, there's young and impressionable babies here, and if you can stop teasing each other, maybe we can figure out how to open these strollers," Rosalie interrupted, covering Iam's ears with her hand. _

_"Right, right, well, I think I just broke one," Emmett drawled out, as he lightly kicked the stroller with his toe. _

_Ava handed Emmett the child in her arms and dug around in one of the closets and found two baby carriers and looked at them questionable. _

_Emmett let out a laugh as he plucked it from her hands and tossed it over to the couch. "That looks like a glorified scarf!"_

_"Maybe I can try putting it on," Rosalie offered, setting Iam in his seat and took the carrier. _

_Ava and Emmett watched bemused at the sight of Rosalie trying to wrap the carrier around her waist and struggled to put him in there when she finally did get it on correctly or so they thought. _

_"So, we're not taking the twins on a walk?"_

_"Nope."_

So, there they were watching the Baby Shark video on loop for the past twenty minutes, it seemed like that was the only thing that the twins enjoyed other than having the movie Tarzan on repeat for the second time. Esme was able to come down to go hunt and come back and was surprised when she saw that they were still watching Tarzan.

Iam and AJ laid on Emmett's chest after Rosalie went off to make the twins their bottles while Ava went upstairs to change and get AJ new clothes since she soiled herself on her older sister. Emmett was playing with both of their toes while he scrolled through the movie and show selection that was suitable for the twins, even though they don't have a clue.

"This is so boring!" Emmett exclaimed, throwing his head back after Alice came in from outside and gave him a questionable look before going up the stairs.

Not far behind Alice, Carlisle came in holding his medical bag in one hand and stopped at the sight of Emmett laying there with both babies' there very calm, all three of them watching Tarzan once more.

"What—"

"Esme was on the brink of a meltdown, so Rose, Ava, and I offered to watch them while she had some 'me time' and here we are," Emmett responded before Carlisle could ask the question, reached out his hand for the bottles that Rosalie held in her hands.

"I'll take them," Carlisle offered, setting down his medical bag.

"Don't; they'll start crying. Go be with your honey," Ava sighed, fiddling with the pants that she got for AJ, and that's when Carlisle noticed that she was only in her diapers.

Carlisle shook his head and set on to find his wife; it wasn't hard, though. He found her in her studio painting away with the radio on at a reasonable volume. He smiled as he saw the way she was so focused on her canvas, her hair in a messy bun on the top of her head, wearing shorts with an old long sleeve that she wears when she's re-decorating or painting.

Esme ran the back of her hand across her forehead, trying to get the flyway's away from her face, glancing up she grinned at the sight of Carlisle. "You are home," she claimed excitedly, wiping her hands as Carlisle walked over to greet her with a kiss.

"I saw Emmett watching Tarzan with both twins sprawled across his chest," Carlisle chuckled and walked over to grab another stool so he could sit next to Esme.

Esme giggled and dipped her paintbrush in the water and placing her watercolor paints to the side, "They were fussy all morning; Emmett, Rose, and Ava walked in before I broke into sobs, so, they offered to watch them. I took a long bath, went out to hunt, and now I'm painting," Esme ticked everything off, moving the easel so Carlisle could see her painting.

Carlisle examined her work and smiled; it was a painting of Carlisle reading a book to the twins, while AJ had her hand in her mouth and Iam was looking up at his dad. "Wow, this is amazing," Carlisle admired, kissing Esme on her temple.

"Thank you; it was nice to have some alone time. I miss my babies, however." Esme sighed, looking up at Carlisle with a sad smile.

"Well, why don't we have an hour alone together and then we can get back to our babies," Carlisle murmured, hugging Esme close to him.

Esme threw her head back in laughter, letting Carlisle carry her to their room.

**~.~.~**

Esme was swinging on the tree swing with AJ after she woke up from her nap, the day was beautiful outside. It was sunny, and it wasn't too hot out, most of the kids were taking 'a break' from school, while Nessie was in her senior year of high school for the first time, and Ava spent most of her time in the local library or bookstore or even the craft store in town.

AJ was babbling as she played with a chew ring, occasionally shoving it in her mouth. "Look, baby, a squirrel," Esme pointed to a squirrel that was standing in the middle of the garden before it ran off and up onto a tree.

AJ squealed in excitement and kicked her feet, "It's fall, my love, so that means the leaves on the trees turn into pretty colors," Esme explained, she knew that talking to the babies was good for them.

There was a moment of silence between the two of them, AJ chewing on the ring happily, a little bit of drool falling on Esme's hand.

The sound of the back-door opening made Esme look up and smiled when she saw her oldest friends stand in the doorway with Carlisle.

"Hello, Carmen and Eleazar," Esme greeted standing up from the swing as they made their way towards Esme.

Carmen rushed to Esme and hugged Esme, being careful of the child in her arms, "Hello Esme," she greeted and bent down slowly and took AJ's free hand, "_Hola, mi niña linda_!" she cooed, giggling when AJ smiled back at Carmen.

"How are you, Esme?" Eleazar asked as he gave Esme a brief hug after his wife took the baby in her arms.

"Oh, I'm good. I'm out here having AJ breathe some fresh air. How are you guys?" Esme asked, moving to stand next to Carlisle, holding his hand.

"We've been good; the rest came this time," he smiled.

Before a word could come out of Esme's mouth, the back door opened again, and Tanya came out holding Iam in her arms, cooing at the baby. "Esme, your son, is darling!" she exclaimed, bouncing the baby in her arms, followed by Kate and Garret.

"Thank you," Esme responded, her face brightening when Iam reached his arms out for Esme. "Hi baby boy," she whispered, taking him from her.

"Oh, is this your daughter?" Kate gushed at the sight of Carmen playing with AJ.

"What about me?" Ava asked as she came back from the trees, letting her hair fall from her ponytail.

Kate, Tanya, and Garrett looked at Ava in awe at how much she resembled Esme. "Wow, you're Esme's twin," Garrett mumbled.

"I'm Ava, and you two must be Kate and Tanya," Ava greeted them politely, then turning to Garrett, "and you, Garrett?"

"Yes, ma'am."

Ava nodded and turned towards Esme and Carlisle, "So, I found this cool pumpkin patch that we can take the kids to, or we can dress them up here and have a photoshoot here," Ava rambled on, unaware at the way the three of them were looking at her.

"Maybe we should dress them up, it's starting to get chilly for the kids," Carlisle answered, taking AJ from Carmen after she started to get fussy.

"Cool, I'm going to go get their costumes!" Ava announced, then turning to look over at the other Denali's that she met, "Nice meeting you guys," she said with a wiggle of her fingers.

"That's Ava?" Tanya asked once she was inside.

Eleazar chuckled along with Carlisle with a shake of their head.

**~.~.~**

Within two hours, Ava was back with several options; she, Alice, Rosalie, Bella, and Nessie were inside comparing the selection of costumes when the others came back inside.

"Anything good?" Esme asked, setting AJ in her bassinet after she fell asleep in Kate's arms.

"So far, we have Thing 1 and Thing 2 as contenders, along with Pebbles and Bam-Bam, and skunks," Rosalie sighed, lifting the possible options.

"I like the skunks," Kate offered, sitting down on the love seat.

"Right, it's warm and cute," Ava agreed, "it's practical."

"Okay, but this is the twin's first Halloween! They should look cute!" Alice cried out, holding out the Pebbles and Bam-Bam option.

"I second the skunks," Tanya piped in, standing next to Ava.

"Skunks it is," Esme sighed examining the skunk costume.

Alice looked between Ava and Tanya, with a smirk on her face. "What?" Ava asked.

"Nothing."

"Whatever, Tinkerbell," Ava huffed, shoving the other costumes back into the bag, "I'll go return these, I'll be back."

"Oh, I'll go with you, if you want," Tanya offered after Ava grabbed the car keys from the dish.

"That's fine, let's go."

~.~.~

Carlisle hugged AJ in her skunk costume close to him, as he watched Iam try to crawl while he was doing tummy time.

"Do you think he'll start crawling soon?" Esme asked, grabbing him and putting on his hood.

"Perhaps, maybe AJ too."

"She doesn't like tummy time, though."

"However, she does try to push herself to crawl towards you, my dear," Carlisle teased.

Ava came in with her Camera and taking her little sister in her arms, "So, we're doing the photoshoot now," Ava announced.

"How was your trip to town?"

"It was fine," Ava shrugged and leaving to go downstairs with AJ in her arms.

"I love all these milestones," Esme sighed in awe, kissing Iams head.

Carlisle smiled, bringing his wife into a hug, giving both her and Iam a kiss on the head. "We'll have plenty of milestones and firsts to come. My life can't get better," Carlisle commented, his voice soft and low.

"Thank you for kidnapping me from the morgue," Esme laughed moving away from Carlisle.

"I'd do it again if I had too."


	14. Mama, Dada, and Cold Medicine

**Disclaimer: Stephenie Meyer is the rightful owner of Twilight.**

**~.~.~**

_Months Six and Seven_

The twins were on the mat that Esme lays out for them whenever they're in the family room, while Carlisle was reading a book on the love seat and Esme was folding their laundry. Esme had put pillows surrounding the twins so that they could sit upright. Iam sat up longer than AJ, but AJ moved herself as if she was about to crawl.

"We should take them to the zoo," Carlisle commented, after a while of staring at the kids for a bit, watching the way they were so entertained with their toys.

Esme raised an eyebrow as she folded a couple of heir onesies and placing them in the basket carefully. "The zoo?"

"Why not?"

"First of all, my love, they won't even remember," Esme implied, as she peered over to make sure that the kids were alright.

Carlisle chuckled, stood up and went over to the kitchen to grab the twins their food. Esme had just recently introduced them to solid foods; AJ preferred the soft fruits, and Iam preferred the oats and cereals.

Grabbing the spoons from the drawer, he made his way back to the family room and stopped dead in his tracks. There AJ was, moving one hand over the other, as she babbled on with a smile on her face. "Love?"

Esme looked up, and her jaw dropped when she saw that AJ was crawling her way towards Carlisle. "Oh my, my baby!" Esme gasped happily, as she watched her crawl over to her dad.

Carlisle set the small bowls down on the floor as he bent down and reached his arms towards her. "Come to daddy, AJ," he encouraged; it seemed as if his words made her go faster more excited, with determination.

Meanwhile, Esme fumbled to grab her phone from underneath the pile of laundry on the couch, Iam seemed to have followed in his sister's footsteps. "Carlisle, look!" Esme squealed, taking pictures and recording every single movement she could, only he was moving in the opposite direction.

"They're crawling," Carlisle gushed, "you can do it, princess!" his baby voice and accent slipped out.

With one last push that AJ gave herself, she reached Carlisle's arms, and he quickly scooped her up in his arms and spun her around, showering her little face with kisses. "Oh my pretty princess," he murmured against her hair, fixing the bow that Esme had clipped in her hair.

Esme watched intently, beckoning Iam with her hands, and bribing him with his stuffed elephant that he loves, "Almost there, baby love, almost," Esme chanted, looking up at Carlisle as he watched with anticipation.

It took him a while to get to Esme, seeing with each shove he moved back a bit, but when he finally reached her, he started to chew on her toes. "Oh, my handsome!" Esme cried out with a laugh as she picked him up and tickled his little tummy.

They both relished in the fact that they both were able to crawl around the same time.

"I say we take them to the zoo, to celebrate," Esme giggled, standing up and walked over to Carlisle.

"I thought they wouldn't remember," Carlisle teased.

Esme stuck her tongue out and bounced Iam in her arms, "We can take them the day after Thanksgiving."

"So, in two days?"

"In two days."

The Denali's came over for Thanksgiving, even though they didn't celebrate it the way humans would. Their thanksgiving feasts usually consist of hunting all night long, but since the babies were involved this time, they decided to have a night in but left soon after.

Kate, Tanya, and Ava quickly became best friends, to the relief of Esme and Carlisle. Ava typically was shy when it came to new people, granted it took her a couple of months to bond with the others.

The twins were crawling all over the house; Emmett and Ava were amused most of the time they watched the twins crawled around, sometimes Emmett would drag one of them softly back by their foot but quickly stopped after Esme glared at him.

"Mama, do we all have to go to the zoo?" Ava moaned, bringing back AJ as she tried to crawl away from her.

Esme turned to look at her, from the game of chess she was playing with Carlisle. "It's a family bonding time, Ava."

"The zoo is not even that fun, the only cool animals there are the elephants and giraffes," Emmett piped in.

"Any better suggestions?" Carlisle asked, accidentally bumping the game board on accident.

"We're going to take them to the aquarium," Alice chirped happily, looking up from her phone, as she was showing Rose, Bella, and Nessie some article on her phone.

The twins soon went to bed, and Esme set off to pack their diaper bags. While Esme was going through their dresser, she noticed the photo album that only held her pregnancy pictures in it. Opening it up, she smiled at the sight of the images of her belly. There was a picture of Esme balancing a bowl of strawberries on her bump, a picture of just her laying in the sun, her skin glistening while her hands were resting on her bump.

She felt Carlisle walk up behind her as he peered over her shoulder to look at the album, "I miss my bump," Esme whispered, "They're six months already, soon they're going to be in pre-school," her voice cracked.

Time has truly flown by; Esme and Carlisle wished they could slow down time. Mostly it was because they didn't want to face the reality of their future, whether they were going to be one of them or not.

"Let's pack their diaper bag," Carlisle whispered, trying to take her mind off of what he knew was on her mind.

However, during the late hours of the night, AJ woke up crying, but it was one of those cries where something hurt or when she wasn't comfortable. Carlisle went in to check in on her and noticed that her little cheeks were flushed.

"Oh, my pretty, you're a little warm," Carlisle whispered as he picked her up gently, rocking her trying to soothe her cries. Taking the thermometer, he walked her over to his room, where Esme was sitting up reading a book.

Sitting down on the bed, he put the thermometer underneath her armpit and waited until it beeped, as he tried to soothe the whimpering child. "It's okay, baby; it's okay," he cooed, running his hand over her forehead.

Esme quickly got up and grabbed a washcloth and wet it before she wrung it, so it was damp, and placed it on top of her forehead. "Honey, should I go get some medicine?" Esme whimpered; she didn't like her baby crying, especially if she knew she was sick.

Carlisle looked up and nodded, "Yes, something for the cold which I'm sure she has, also get her some electrolyte solution for babies," his voice was calm and soft, kissing her before she left to the store.

"You're not feeling good, huh, love?" He whispered, placing his hand over her head, hoping to cool her off that way.

AJ continued to cry, but not as loud now; perhaps it was because she was with her daddy. Soon, her cries turned into whimpers. Carlisle rid AJ of her onesie, knowing that that was helpful to try to bring down the fever. "Daddy's here," he whispered, taking his shirt off as well, putting a thin sheet over his body and laid AJ there.

He rubbed her back, listening to her breathing, it sounded like she was congested; she had a cold, he concluded. "Da.." he heard her mumble.

Carlisle lifted his head, his eyes wide with wonder. Did he hear her say a variation of the word Dad? "Dada, AJ?" He asked.

AJ was mumbling something before she looked up at him with a smile, "Dada."

Carlisle grinned when he heard her little voice say dada. "My baby love, I love you so much. Dada loves you; dada loves you so much," he cooed, kissing her little button nose.

Soon after, Esme came in with a small bag with a bottle of cold medicine and the electrolyte solution for infants. "Why does Dada love AJ so much?" Esme asked, opening the bottle of cold medicine, after reading the dosage amount.

"My baby said Dada," Carlisle announced proudly.

Esme dropped the bottle and little cup on the bed, with a grin rivaling Carlisle's. "My princess said Dada?" her voice dropped a bit disappointed at the fact that she wasn't there to witness it.

"Our princess said dada," he reiterated. Esme picked AJ up and felt her forehead, relieved that her temperature went down a bit.

"She seems better," Esme sighed in relief.

Carlisle nodded, pouring the electrolyte solution in her bottle, while Esme gave her the medicine with little to no fight. While Esme fed her the bottle, she heard Iam whimper, as he stirred awake.

"I'll get him," Carlisle offered, kissing her on her forehead, while Esme ran a finger across AJ's face.

"Best dada in the world."

"Best and the oldest dada."

**~.~.~**

"Mama, the kids look like they're going to the North Pole," Ava observed, an eyebrow raised as she inspected the twin's attire. They were both wearing a onesie underneath their pants and sweaters, they had warm socks on their feet with cute baby Ugg boots, and a beanie on their head under their hood.

Esme looked up from the diaper bag she was packing, seeing Ava carrying the twins and it looks like they were swimming in their clothes. "It does seem a bit excessive," Esme sighed, with a small smile on her face.

"We're just going to the zoo to look at the Christmas lights," Rosalie added when she walked in to see if Esme had seen the leather jacket that she was planning on wearing.

Esme took AJ from Ava and quickly removed the oversized jacket she was wearing and her sweater and put on the coat she was wearing previously after she couldn't decide on which one. Ava did the same to Iam, while Rosalie took AJ from Esme and headed downstairs.

"So, Jade is saying Dada and the next day, William said dada, yet none of them are saying mama," Ava smirked, picking out two blankets for the kids for when they are in the stroller.

Esme sighed, slinging the diaper bag over her shoulder, grabbing extra wipes on their way out of their room. When they got downstairs, Carlisle was putting AJ in her car seat as she chewed on the hood she took off. Emmett was hugging Rosalie close to him, Edward and Bella were on the piano bench while Edward played a Christmas carol, and Nessie and Alice were both planning out their trip.

The drive to the zoo was short, with the babies babbling, and Esme swore that they were fighting with each other at one point, perhaps something they learned from Emmett and Ava when they horsed around or how Ava likes to call it, it's a twin thing.

Carlisle, Esme, Ava, and the twins rode in Esme's car, while the others took Emmett's Jeep; the others got there when Carlisle was getting the strollers ready, and Esme was taking the babies from their car seat.

"I thought Em broke one of them?" Rosalie asked as they walked up to the family, watching as Carlisle set up the last stroller.

Esme rolled her eyes with a laugh, buckling AJ in her stroller, tucking the blanket around her little body and fixing the back, so she was propped up. "He did; Carlisle went out and bought another one."

"Sorry, Pops," Emmett apologized sheepishly.

"It's fine, don't worry."

Carlisle and Esme each pushed a stroller while Nessie, Alice, and Nessie sauntered off to find Nessie a hot chocolate and the other two couples walked behind Carlisle and Esme as they strolled through the front gates.

They were meet with an abundance of lights strung across the trees, along archway with fairy lights hanging down from the arches all in a fresh blue color and white. Up ahead, there were different lights projected over a fountain that had a beautiful light show that looked like the shadows of elephants walking.

At the sight of the elephants, Iam quickly started to reach over, kicking his feet excitedly. "Look baby, elephants," Esme smiled as he looked up at her with wide and wandering eyes.

Emmett reached over to touch the water and splashed Iam who quickly wiped his little face and babbled something, but upset. "Little man has his mama's attitude," Emmet teased, messing with the fuzz ball on the end of his beanie.

Iam looked at Emmett then at Esme while he was babbling on about something. During this time, Nessie, Alice, and Ava came up to them as Nessie held onto her cup of hot chocolate onto dear life, Ava taking pictures of Alice in various poses and front of different lights.

"Are you going to be doing that the whole time we're here?" Bella pinched the bridge of her nose, as she saw Alice drag her daughter into one of her photo-ops.

Alice nodded with a wink to her eye, while Emmett ran up behind Alice and made funny faces to the camera Ava was holding. "Of course, Bella. It's not often we all go out as a family," Alice said in a duh tone.

Ava focused her attention on the patriarchs and the babies of the family, trying to get candid pictures. AJ was in Esme's arms at this point, while she pushed the stroller with one hand, AJ amazed at the colors and lights in front of her.

Iam was still babbling about, while Carlisle and Edward responded to his little rants, making hand movements and occasionally letting out a laugh. Iam looked over at Esme as he continued his rants and it seemed as if he got frustrated that she was paying most of her attention to AJ and keeping the older kids in line as they horsed around.

"Mama!" Iam cried out, frustrated.

All vampires stopped dead in their tracks when they heard Iam cry out the word that Esme was desperately waiting to listen for a couple of weeks after they said dada.

"He said, mama. He said, mama!" Esme gasped, her smile growing when she turned around to face her baby boy.

"Mama," he cried out again, then continuing with his babbles like as if nothing happened.

"I got a picture of that!" Ava cried out, proud of herself.

Carlisle picked up Iam and kissed his little head. "Our babies are so smart," he laughed out proud of his son.

It was as if AJ and Iam were the same people because a couple of minutes later, she saw pictures of the black bear cubs, and she gasped before she blurted out, "Mama!"

The twins both started babbling at each other, throwing in the word 'mama' and 'dada' here and there, as the Cullen's watched dumbfounded.

"I told you it's a twin thing!" Ava jumped up and down, excited, "cough up, Hercules!"

Esme turned to look at her kids, as Emmett pulled out his wallet and took out two crisp hundred dollar bills from his wallet. "You bet on my babies?"

"Yup. Emmett was set on the fact that twins don't communicate with each other or the fact that they're connected some way – wild concept, I know." Ava rolled her eyes.

Esme went back to showering her babies in kisses and cuddling them as close to her body as she could.

"One of the best Christmas Day's I've spent," Carlisle mumbled against 'Iams' hair as he held onto Carlisle's crucifix.

Esme was still dry sobbing, overwhelmed with happiness and love and at the same time sadness. Her babies were crawling and saying their first words. They were her work that she was so incredibly proud of, along with Ava, of course.

"Oh, I love you guys so much, mama and dada love you guys."

A loud splash brought Esme and Carlisle back to reality when they saw that Emmett had pushed Edward into the flamingo pond, as he brought down the neon flamingo lights they propped up.

Carlisle sighed, putting the kids back into the stroller; they all automatically turned back and proceeded to leave the park. "Our lovely family; they're chaotic but still our family." Esme sighed, turning back to see Ava, Bella, Rose, and Ness laugh uncontrollably at how mad Edward looked when he climbed out the pond.

"We'll see how these two turn out."

"Normal, I hope."

"Hopefully."

**So, I wanted Carlisle to be the one to witness AJ saying dada first because she's his only biological daughter and I feel like that would be a special moment. **

**So in turn, I had Iam say Mama first.**

**Hope y' all enjoyed it!**


	15. First Snowfall

**Disclaimer: Stephenie Meyer is the rightful owner of Twilight.**

* * *

**~.~.~**

_Months Eight and Nine_

It was a mere four more months or so when it would mark their first year of life, their first year with the family. The twins had brought such a copious amount of joy and happiness to the family - a pleasure that Esme and Carlisle couldn't quite fathom a world without because they felt like they were in Glory - as Carlisle had put it once. Their personalities had blossomed. Jade (they started calling them by their middle names due to Carlisle's request) was much more energetic than William; her blonde hair had started to darken ever so slightly, and Esme enjoyed putting her hair into little ponytails, so her hair looked like little sprouts.

William was much more sensitive than his twin sister. However, he had Esme's character when he became fastidious. Now that their little faces were evolving with every passing day, Carlisle's facial features were making an appearance. It was odd for the family, for he had inherited Carlisle's bright blue eyes from when he was human; Jade still had brown eyes, but they noticed that they got darker. Their growth was a tad quicker than most average humans; both mentally and physically, it seemed. Soon after both William and Jade had said their first words, a plethora of random words came suit - granted it was variations of the word.

As much as the twins loved the outside, Esme tried to limit their time outside due to the cold weather. However, she will always cherish when the kids first witnessed their first snowfall - the first significant snowfall for the year. They had crawled their way towards the big glass walls in their nursery that showcased the garden beautifully; it was one of the rooms with the best lighting, that's why Esme loved it so much for her studio.

Jade and William had pressed their chubby little hands against the glass as Esme was putting away their laundry for the day. They were so entranced with the way the breeze played with the vibrant green leaves and the sight of the bunnies running across the garden. They slowly began to stand up with support, of course, but soon plopped down on their behinds.

Esme watched as they banged their little hands against the glass whenever a bunny ran across the garden; Jade shouting her baby gibberish while William just cooed silently. Esme wandered over to her babies; her heart split into two was realized in the flesh. Sitting down behind them, both William and Jade crawled over to their mama and snuggled to her side. They've become notably clingy as of late. It was both a blessing and a curse. However, Esme held them to her as the three of them admired the sight in front of them.

When the first few specks of snowflakes made their debut, Jade and William freed themselves from their mothers hold to make their way towards the window. Their faces of wonder and curiosity made Esme grin; they were getting to the know the world. As much as Esme and Carlisle wanted to put a pink filter on their view of their world, they made sure to paint the world in a positive light as much as they could.

Much to Esme's amazement, the twins sat there staring at the snowfall until the garden was blanketed in a sheet of snow, like a duvet cover on a bed.

"Okay, let's get some lunch in those tummies," Esme broke the trance that the twins were clearly in, marveling at the way the snow fluttered down to the ground so beautifully.

The twin's palate had become much more vast at this stage; Jade thoroughly enjoyed steamed cauliflower and broccoli when it came to the vegetable division, upright refusing to eat green beans and potatoes. William, however, was less picky than his twin sister, he'd eat anything Esme or Carlisle would set down in front of him -except for sweet potatoes. Anything but sweet potatoes.

With much ease, Esme carried her babies around the house on each arm, however, when she needed to take something else with her, there was a small amount of struggle, thus the cause of bowls of yogurt, strawberries, and pasta being splattered all across the carpet - they had to change the carpet to hardwood floors due to this.

The high chairs are placed correctly in the eyes of Esme; they had the best view of the forest. The way the light filtered in between the trees, leaves, and into their window casting elegant lighting in the morning and the evening. Emmett soon found out that it was best that the twins were to sit at a distance from each other - he tried feeding them once, and he ended up having mashed potatoes stuck in his hair and down his shirt.

Esme grabbed the plate that held the lightly coated alfredo elbow coated pasta with broccoli and cauliflower decorating the dish and scooped a little bit onto their plates. As soon as the food hit their plates, the twins sprung into action and grabbed as much as their tiny chubby hands could handle. Although, they did miss their mouth more than half the time and Esme had to help them (Jade put up the biggest fight, while William didn't mind it at all).

Their little toothy grins brought happiness to Esme; that's all she wanted, to see them smile.

The sound of the car that she learned to love came to earshot as the kids tried to spoon feed themselves their fruit. Her still heart leaped whenever she heard the familiar sound of the engine, of the swift and soft movements that came within the car. The soft click that came from the door opening made Esme whip her head to bask in the sight of her husband coming into their household after nearly ten hours away from his family.

"Dada!" Came the excited shrill from Jade after she tossed her plastic spoon across the room.

Carlisle set down his medical bag with swift movements and came over to his wife, giving her a chaste kiss on the lips. "How's my queen, my prince, and my princess?" bliss dripping from each word he spoke.

Esme smiled and plucked out a piece of broccoli from her daughter's hair, fixing the pastel pink bow that Esme clipped in front of her ponytail. It was things like these that she wished she could have experienced with Ava. However, Esme was thankful that she was able to experience this with her baby. "We're doing good, my darling. The twins had cereal for breakfast, but Jade being the picky eater she is, refused as much as she could. William bumped his head on his crib," Esme let her husband know.

Ridden with concern, Carlisle inspected his head, feeling for any bumps or bruises. He tended to be the clumsiest of the pair. "You hit your head, bud?" Carlisle questioned, lifting his son from his highchair after he was sure that he wasn't going to eat any more of his dinner.

Carlisle smiled as his son rambled on as if trying to respond to his question. William's hand movements were animated and matched the pitch of his voice. "Oh, the crib came out of nowhere?"

Esme watched as two of her favorite boys were conversing. "Are you done yet, baby?"

Jade looked up and banged her small hands on her tray, splashing pieces of pasta and the blueberries - Esme had put out as their 'desert' - all over the place. Esme blinked in surprise; Jade laughed in amusement and Carlisle stared in awe. "Okay, I'll take that as a yes."

**~.~.~**

The weather had been remotely beautiful during this month; the twins ventured outside as the weather got pleasant. When Esme was locked in her studio working on the floorplans for their new house in New York, the other vampires in the household took on the role as a babysitter. Esme was pleased with the work that she designed for their new home; there was going to be a wall knocked down between two rooms in plans of building a bigger nursery for the twins, there was a full open lot that Carlisle came up with the idea that that was going to be the twin's space. With the help of Ava, they were going to renovate the family room to make it more toddler-friendly - seeing as they were going to move after the twins first birthday.

Today was no distinct than any other day. With Esme's trip to New York neared, Esme was fussing over leaving her babies for a week while she did the closing touches and inspection to make sure the house was up to par; all the while obsessing over the house, making sure it was perfect. It was, after all, going to be the home her babies were going to grow up in for at least five to seven years. Emmett, Nessie, Alice, and Ava were outside playing with the babies, allowing them to go ahead play with the last of the snow that was around.

The babies were starting to explore the wonders of walking (well as much walking they could do at this point) grabbing onto anything and everything that was within grasp and moved their shaky little legs to advance further. Nessie held William with both hands as he lifted his legs off the ground. Emmett and Ava were amused most as they watched the twins try to walk on new surfaces; the snow was their new venture for today.

As soon as the twins set foot on the soft snow, they were fascinated off the bat. The only other setting they have walked on was the carpet and the hardwood floor. The rug was their preferred area, as it was soft and plush.

"Will Mamma Esme get mad if I let him crawl?" Nessie inquired, gradually following every miniature footstep that William took.

Her two aunts and uncle each gave her a look; exasperated, delighted, and bemused. Ava opened her mouth to speak; however, a small thud nearly made her choke. The howls of Emmett's laughter and Alice's concerned gasp lured her back to reality, passing off her little sister to Alice she made way to pick up William who was face down in the cold slush.

"Renesmee, what the hell?!" Her voice was loud, shock-ridden across her face.

The younger girl recoiled at the harshness of her voice - Nessie was accustomed to Ava's soft and tender voice, and when she did cuss at her, it was all lighthearted banter. "I'm sorry! He squirmed, and I didn't want to hurt him by yanking his arm," her voice was low, keeping eye contact with the older vampire.

Ava lamented, her shoulder slumping in regret at the manner she addressed her niece, who soon came to be her best friend. "I'm sorry, Ness. It's just that they're so little and I don't want mama to come out and rip an arm off," she moved the snow in front of her with the toe of her boot.

Emmett let out another roar as he walked up to the pair and taking the baby from their arms. "They're fine! How else will they know how to toughen up?!"

Meanwhile, Esme was upstairs analyzing different paint samples and furniture pieces when the bustle was going on downstairs. The sound of Emmett's booming laugh brought Esme out of her trance. Esme tried to neglect the sounds outside to concentrate - she was determined to have everything perfect to not prolong her impending trip to New York. However, the sound of Williams whimpers made her head whip around faster than she ever. Throwing open the window that led to the garden where her kids were playing, she poked her head out to inspect the situation.

Alice was taking numerous selfies with Jade, disregarding the fact that the infant had no interest, and kept staring to see what her siblings were doing. Emmett had a whimpering William in his arms, as Ava tried to clean off his face of the snow residue, while Nessie took off her beanie to place it on top of William's head.

"What are you doing to my baby?" Esme called from the windowsill; her eyebrows quirked up as she watched her kids and granddaughter rack through their brains for an excuse.

"Nessie dropped William!"

"I did not!"

Esme's eyes narrowed at the news that they dropped her kid, "Ness?"

"Mamma Esme, I swear I didn't drop him! He squirmed out of my hands, and he plopped onto the snow!" Her voice was pleading; her grandmother was the most understanding and loving person she's ever met - next to her grandfather, of course. Regardless, her Mama Bear voice startled her, making the Ness undoubtedly apprehensive.

Esme breathed out. "Bring them in," she ordered; although her eyes were closed, she heard the hurried treads of her children and grandchild, the twins squealing with joy as they were rushed indoors. Listening to the boots come off by the doorway and the toys soon after being jostled around, she sighed.

"If they get sick, you guys are taking care of them," Esme informed them; her voice was soft yet stern, giving her three older children and grandchild a glare.

"Yes, Mama." and "Yes, Momma," and "Yes, Mamma Esme," and "Will do." were her responses.

* * *

** So, I've put much thought into the direction I'm going with this story. All I can say is, I'm most excited to hit their toddler phase. I'm determined to finish, so I can venture into different storylines. **

**I wanted to have a dramatic moment when their much older; however, I'm not too sure if anyone would be interested in seeing that. **

**I'm determined to finish, so I can venture into different storylines. With that being said, after this story is over, I'm afraid that it will be the last time I write about Ava and the twins, my literal babies haha. **

**I want to know what you guys want to see next, within this story or future stories. **

**Appreciate every single reader and reviewer so much.**

**Hope you guys enjoyed this chapter! **


	16. Baby Steps

**Disclaimer: Stephenie Meyer is the rightful owner of Twilight. **

**~.~.~**

_Months Ten and Eleven_

Esme had significant separation anxiety from her babies; coming back every five seconds to kiss their little heads and in turn, making them cry even more for their mama. However, an hour and a half later, both twins were at ease after Rosalie bathed them and wrapped the twins in their blanket. Carlisle rubbed his face with his hand as he sank into the bed he shared with his wife. Those ninety minutes seemed like an eternity; he didn't know how to calm down his children at that point, and he was heartbroken.

Granted, it was only logical that the twins would be more attached to Esme. Without out a doubt, his babies adored him. The way they watched him as he spoke to them or someone else in their great family. The way they paid close attention when he read their bedtime stories. Jade was utterly in love with her dada, as was Carlisle; his baby girl enamored him. Whenever he walked into the room and eyesight of Jade, her hands instantly were reaching for her father. William indeed was enamored by his dad and mom, having no individual preference to whom he wanted to be with most - he did, however, deny any hugs from Emmett or Edward.

A couple of days they prolonged Esme's trip - due to Ava installing the faucets wrong and causing some piping to burst and swamp the bathroom. Every night before bedtime, Esme and the twins would face time; they're excited every time to see their mama, even if for just a little while. However, with each passing day, Carlisle got better at handling their children (he enjoyed it mainly because he got to bond a lot more with his kids).

The weather was beautiful on this particular morning; it was overcast, but the weather was still pleasant. So Carlisle decided to make a trip out of their day.

Carlisle crept into the twin's nursery, peering into their cribs and saw that his sleepy little heads were still sleeping or William would stretch and go back to his dreams. Slowly, Carlisle opened the drapes, letting the light come to creep into their room.

"Wake up; my baby loves," Carlisle spoke in his soft voice that the twins found solace when they were having a troublesome day. He paid close attention to their breathing, and a smile sneaked on his face when he noticed Jade's breath.

Carlisle was proud to say that he was able to recognize their breathing pattern; this breathing, in particular, was when she was awake. He gathered that his baby girl was wide awake and pulling his leg. "Adeline Jade," Carlisle sang; rubbing her back before poking down her leg, as it made her laugh. When he got to her tiny foot, he poked it tenderly, and she squealed swiftly revealing her gorgeous eyes - flashing him a toothy smile, her bottom two teeth completely erupted.

"Silly, princess," Carlisle chuckled, lifting the infant in his arms and gave her head tender kisses. The curls at the bottom of her hair were tangled and unruly, Carlisle gently running his fingers through her hair. He soon found out that she loathed the brush, no matter how gentle Esme or one of her older sisters tried to brush her hair.

He swiftly put her in her leggings with a soft pink sweater with a fox in the front and attempted to put her hair in a ponytail like Esme consistently does, but he settled with pushing her hair back with a bow. "My pretty princess," he cooed as he examined her after putting on her shoes.

Soon after, William woke up and stood up peering over the crib railing, grasping the air - this was his way of asking for Carlisle - impatiently. Carlisle beamed at his son and set Jade on the floor to let her explore the room. "Hello, my beautiful boy."

"He's not beautiful!" Emmett called from the other room.

With a roll of his eyes, he picked up William and gave kissed his forehead repeatedly, causing the little boy to burst into giggles. "How's my precious baby?" he asked, taking him to the changing table, dressing him in soft jeans with a long sleeve and a beanie with shoes that matched Jade's shoes.

"We're going to have breakfast, and then we're going to go to the park, and from there, we'll see. Mama comes home later today," He listed, as he carried both infants on each arm without much exertion.

Carlisle put on some Indie music; a love for the genre that they inherited from their mother. It seemed to keep them satisfied and relaxed for the time being. Aside from their early appreciation for the style that is Indie music, they adored the Disney music from the earlier films, like Once Upon a Dream from Sleeping Beauty (Jade loves that move) and Everybody Wants to Be a Cat from the Artistrocats - loved by William. He fed them their formula along with their cereal - plain for William and cereal with pureed strawberries for Jade.

Since Esme left, like clockwork, she gave her family a call while they were having breakfast, today was no different. Carlisle rushed over to his phone that was laying on the kitchen counter to pick up Esme's video chat call. Once Esme picked up the call, his smile brightened at the sight of his beautiful wife as she was looking away for a split second; supervising the work Ava was doing, he assumed.

"Hi, darling!" Esme cried, her eyes twinkling with mirth when she finally turned to look over at her husband. Esme's smile grew, showing her pearly white teeth, her hair in a messy bun with a couple of curls of hair falling on her face.

Carlisle's still heart fluttered, each time captivated by his wife's presence. "Hello, my love! How's the work on the house?"

"Oh darling, the twin's nursery is fantastic! Everything about it is brilliant, and Carlisle I can't wait to bring the twins here," Esme sighed, in an enchanted manner - the way she talked about her work only made Carlisle fall in love with her more - imagining her babies enjoy the nursery.

"Well," Carlisle breathed out, his head turning rapidly at the sound of a bowl of cereal hit the floor, "I'm sure the twins will love it. They're crying for your attention."

Carlisle took the phone over to the twins, and he heard Esme's excited gasp and the twins kicking their feet excitedly, with their squeals at the sight of their mother. "Hi, babies!" Esme cooed, once Carlisle faced the phone in their direction.

**~.~.~**

They talked for a while, the twins going on about whatever nonsense, and Esme responding enthusiastically, promising to pamper them in kisses and cuddles the second she got home. Soon after their phone finished, Carlisle cleaned up the mess the twins had made and carried them into his car, triple-checking that they were in securely.

Carlisle drove to the park at regular speed -something he had to get used to- getting to the park in a town fifteen minutes later than he would have if he were driving at his average speed. Getting the kids out of the car was relatively easy, keeping a careful eye on the child that was in the stroller as he took the other out.

Carlisle took them to the swing set, placing both of them on the swing set for infants, and pushed them gently. The squeals and laughter that came from his children made Carlisle feel some sort of joy that he never envisioned experiencing. The way their toothy grins made his heart swell with joy; he vowed to protect them forever.

There was only one other family in the playground with them, a mother with her toddler who played in the sand with a pail and shovel. He felt the mother's eyes burning on the back of his head as he pushed the twins on the swing for a while. Once he saw that the twins were getting bored, he took the twins from the swing set and carried them over to the jungle gym. He climbed it carefully, placing both babies on his lap strategically, so they were both on it safely. "Ready?" He asked before he pushed themselves down the slide, laughing along with his twins.

Carlisle completely lost track of time, as he later moved them towards a tree and set up their blanket and took out some toys from the diaper bag, along with a few snacks. He watched the way the twins interacted with each other, sharing their toys, but then later Jade would pull on William's hair, and Carlisle had to intervene. He knew that it was getting late when he saw more parents appear with their children.

"Mama!" William cried out; Carlisle hastily glancing up perplexed and stared in the direction that William was studying.

There, in all her grandeur, was his wife strolling towards them with a wide brim hat, wearing a flowy cardigan over her dress and flats, her hair in lustrous waves. "My baby loves," Esme cried out; her smile widening when she saw her children gasp and babble happily.

William and Jade missed their mother tremendously -why wouldn't they? Their little faces scrunched up in excitement, and it seemed as if they wanted to cry when their eyes laid upon Esme. They were so excited that they pushed themselves off the floor.

Carlisle and Esme watched with eyes of bewilderment and astonishment, as they anxiously stood up, and took a shaky step towards their mama. William was the first to take another footstep, as Esme bent down, holding her arms open in front of her. "Come here, baby love," Esme's melodious voice reassuring the infant.

Carlisle sat up straighter, watching as William took a step, then another, and another. He was able to reach Esme's awaiting arms, with much glee. However, Esme and Carlisle watched as Jade plopped down on the ground multiple times, becoming discouraged.

"You can do it, Adeline Jade," Carlisle encouraged his daughter, lifting her ever so gently, and made sure she was steady.

Jade took another shaky step; her arms opened out in front of her. "Mama! Here!" Jade demanded as she walked closer to Esme.

Esme laughed and beckoned her daughter, "Come, my beautiful."

With a few more steps to go, Jade persisted and finally fell into Esme's arms. Both babies were spoiled in kisses and cuddles (as promised), which they both relished the feeling of their mom hugging them. "Your babies missed you, love." Carlisle smiled, letting Esme have her moment with her babies.

Esme feigned shock, putting her hand over her still heart, "Only my babies? Not my loving husband? The father of my babies? Of our teens?" Esme teased, pouting.

Carlisle laughed and moved over to Esme, kissing Esme on the lips, hearing a soft, 'yuck' from one of their infants, causing him to pull away. "I missed you, my love."

"I missed you too, darling."

"Not as much as I."

Esme then put her attention back to her children, her arms, and smiled. "Have they been walking this whole time?"

"No, but they have been fighting." Carlisle grinned.

Esme sighed and let Jade tug on her hair, "We need to get Ava and Emmett away from them."

**And they took their first steps! **

**Super, super excited to get into their toddler ages and then soon into their teens! So, I was wondering if once into their schooling years, would you guys want me to do at least two chapters per age? Or stick to the one per month/year? I have a couple ideas so far of what I want to do. **

**Let me know! **


	17. Burning Questions

**Disclaimer: Stephenie Meyer is the rightful owner of Twilight. **

**There's a time jump, only because it took me a solid week to attempt to write about them being one, that it was just more comfortable for me to write about them being four. **

**~.~.~**

_Four Years Old_

Four years seemed like such a short period for the Cullen's; the twins were turning four this evening and off to pre-school in the upcoming months. The twins quickly adjusted to their new surroundings when they first moved to New York. Esme especially felt terrible that they had another two to three years left here, right in their peak of growth, they will up and move once more.

Jade possessed a bubbly personality, loved singing along to her favorite Disney movies or her favorite songs that she would hear around the house, having dance parties on her own. Jade was the perfect mix of both her parents; Jade's blonde hair darkened to Esme's caramel hair that she shared with her older sister, had Esme's big bright brown eyes when she was human. However, she had Carlisle's smile, but Esme's dimples; Carlisle's compassion was passed down to her. Her sense of adventure and passion for the outdoors was all Esme.

William, on the other hand, was more reserved as opposed to his twin sister. He wasn't as outgoing as Jade was or his sense of adventure wasn't as bold as hers. However, he did have Carlisle's compassion and Esme's big heart, making Esme so proud of the fact,

This year, they decided to keep their birthday celebrations to an intimate gathering, consisting of only their coven. Jade was outside all day in the playground that they had built in the empty lot next to their house, on the swings and the monkey bars - only coming in when she needed a drink of water or a quick bite to eat. While Jade was outside swinging on the monkey bars, William was out with his watercolor paints and paper, underneath a tree, with Jade joining in occasionally.

The sun was beginning to set behind the trees, while Jade and William trudged back into the house, Jade's intricate Dutch braids messy and her once white shoes were a dark brown color. William carried his watercolors as carefully as he could into the house.

"Mama, I'm hungry!" William called out dropping his belongings in the little box that Esme had bought for them; it was because they tend not to put their belongings back where they were, so this was Esme's best resolution.

Infinite times Esme and Carlisle found their toys around the house, and when they did want to put away the toys, either twin would work up a tantrum saying they were not done playing yet. To that, Esme would turn on her stern voice that all the older kids knew and loved, and to the little ones; they hung on to every word Esme spoke.

Carlisle came out as he descended the stairs with a book in his hands and noticed that William was strolling over to the kitchen, determined to get food, no matter what it may be. He lately digs in the kitchen drawers and bites into tomatoes as if they were apples - much to Ava's amusement. He turned his head to see that Jade was picked up by Ava to bath her before they had their birthday dinner. Carlisle observed William, see what he was up to, a smile creeping upon his face. He grabbed his tomato and placed it on the counter gingerly. William then progressed onto the kitchen table and dragged a chair over to where the sink was. Carlisle was surprised to see that William washed his food before eating.

"Oh, papa!" William cried when he walked away from the kitchen with the tomato juice all over his face. Carlisle smiled and picked up his son, carrying him up to the room he shared with Jade.

Carlisle and Esme tried to teach them as many languages as they could right now. So far, they were fluent in English and knew most of Spanish, a little bit of French and Italian. Hence the usage of the word mama and papa; Jade and William would jump around from using 'papa' and 'maman' or daddy and mommy.

"Happy birthday, bud!" Carlisle kissed his head and took William to the other bathroom and turned on the water for him. At this point, the twins would let Esme and Carlisle - seldom Ava - wash them and then they would hang out in the clean bath water for another ten to fifteen minutes until they got bored.

"Thank you, papa. Where's my mama?" He asked, wiping his mouth with the sleeve of his shirt much to Carlisle's dismay.

"Mommy is out picking up your cake," Carlisle said, helping the toddler step out of his shorts, before helping him into the tub.

William nodded, letting Carlisle lather his caramel locks. He showered the boy in silence, letting him play for a bit, while Carlisle went to get his clothes from the room. When Carlisle walked into the room, he saw Ava putting Jade's hair into two space buns on top of her head, while she wore her floral romper.

"Daddy!" Jade cried, sitting still for her older sister, knowing that if she moved, she'd have to sit down for longer and endure the tugging of the hair even more.

Carlisle smiled and waited for Ava to finish with her hair so he could go and hug his daughter. "Happy birthday, princess," He chuckled when Jade ran into his arms, wrapping her little arms around his neck and resting her head in the crook of his neck.

Ava laughed, putting the comb and bands into a drawer, "She's such a daddy's girl, it's hilarious," she teased, gently pushing Jade's head back with her index finger.

Jade stuck out her tongue at Ava before turning back to look over at her dad. "Thank you, daddy! I love you," Jade gave him a sloppy kiss on the cheek.

Carlisle smiled when he felt his daughters warm kiss on the cheek; Jade's and William's kisses were wet, but it made him feel fortunate to know that they loved him so.

"Mommy!" Williams cried when he saw Esme walk in with a small box in her hands.

"Hi baby," Esme smiled, leaning down to kiss her son, "You look handsome, love."

William smiled and followed his mom to the kitchen and watched as she put the cake in the fridge and prepared to set the table for their dinner - consisted of chicken parmigiana with a side of steamed veggies. Soon Jade came down the stairs with the help of Carlisle and soon skipped over to the pair. "Smells yummy, mama!" Jade said, rubbing her tummy and giggled profusely.

Soon, the Cullen's came down the stairs and sang happy birthday to the twins. Jade and William were gifted copious amounts of gifts; the other Cullen's disregarding Carlisle's and Esme's wishes of not spoiling the twins, however, that didn't work out too well.

Carlisle carried a sleeping William in his arms towards the room, followed by Esme with a sleeping Jade in hers. They tenderly set them down on their beds, tucking them in and giving them a kiss goodnight.

"I love you; baby loves," both Carlisle and Esme both whispered in unison.

**~.~.~**

The kids had started pre-school a couple of months earlier; they thoroughly enjoyed going to school every day, yapping off their parent's ears off about their day to day activities in school.

The morning they started school altogether, Esme was thankful that the kids assimilated quite quickly to the new environment. Jade lingered on to her for a while longer, while William clutched onto her legs before she left the room. Once Esme got into her car, she sobbed. For the past four years, the twins were all hers. They spent every waking moment with her or with her and Carlisle, but this was the most she was going to be away from them.

Esme still remembers calling Carlisle sobbing that she missed her babies. How silly she felt because while she was sobbing, her kids were having the times of their lives.

William and Jade for the first two days stuck with each other, having their snack and lunch together, playing together throughout recess, they were inseparable. Although, they soon got friends of their own; Jayla and

Amelia was closest friends, while William's most intimate friends were Michael and Julian.

One day, Jade was sitting around having a snack with Amelia and Jayla; Jade eating the ham and cheese sandwich that Esme packed in her lunch pail, along with water and some raspberries.

"Jade, who's picking you up today?" Jayla asked as she took out the small bag of chips that she had in her pail.

Glancing up from her sandwich, she saw that Jayla and Amelia were looking at her intently; curious to who was picking her up. Typically, Esme or Ava picked them up, and when Carlisle did pick them up from pre-school, Jayla and Amelia had already left at that point. "Um, my daddy is today," Jade shrugged, recalling that her dad was supposed to pick her and William up.

"Is it his weekend today?" Amelia asked, quite bold.

"His weekend?" Her little brows were furrowed in confusion, not sure of what her friend's question was.

Amelia nodded, taking a sip from her juice box. "Yeah, his weekend? Like this weekend is my daddy's weekend," she said so calmly.

Jade shrugged and continued with her snack, still pondering on the question that Amelia had asked. "I'm going with my grandparents this weekend," Jayla announced, excited at the fact that she was spending the weekend with her grandparents.

Both Amelia and Jayla were talking about their grandparents quite animated, talking about the activities they do during their visits, the cute dresses grandma buys them and what not. All Jade could do was listen and absorb all this information. Moving to take her trash, she noticed William was playing happily with his friends outside in the jungle gym.

Throughout the day, Jade was entirely lost in her thoughts, wondering what it was that Amelia had meant. Jade was aware that her parents weren't together, because sometimes her dad would drop her off in the morning or pick her up on Friday afternoons.

As far as Jade could remember, she enjoyed watching her parents dancing together when it was just them. They always danced to Frank Sinatra's Strangers in the Night together in the moonlight - it was one of Jade's favorite memory that she knew of.

So, when Carlisle came to pick them up, she treaded behind William, a lot more silent than she usually was.

"What's wrong, baby?" Carlisle asked, looking at her from his rearview mirror as they drove back to the house. Carlisle studied her; she was fumbling with her craft project on her lap while looking out the window.

Jade bit her lip, looking over at William who looke4d over at her concern in his own eyes as well. "Daddy?"

"Yes, princess?"

"Will you and mommy ever break up?" Jade's little voice was quiet, as she looked over at William.

Carlisle was dumbstruck at the question his daughter asked him. "Well, I don't believe so, darling. I am confident that mama, and I will be together for a long time," he tried to choose his words wisely; something easy for her to comprehend and something that won't make her question her parents.

William looked up interested now, wondering why Jade was asking this silly question in his opinion. "Well, Amelia's parents aren't together, and she asked if this weekend was your weekend," her little shoulders shrugged.

Carlisle couldn't help but smile, "No, baby love, mama and I love each other so very much," he finished, and the rest of the ride home was silent.

Esme was at the front door ready to greet her little family; her arms spread open wide when she saw her twins step out the doors of Carlisle's car. Jade and William quickly ran over to their mama, like they always did after school, even if she was picking them up from school.

"Hello, my beauties!" Esme laughed, kissing their heads each and taking their hands to lead them to the kitchen table.

Carlisle and Esme liked to sit with the twins when they were eating, the majority of the time it was for supervision because sometimes the twins will fight and throw food at each other and because they loved to hear what the twins had to say. "Mommy?" Jade asked after she swallowed the spoonful of soup that she had scooped into her mouth.

Esme looked up from sketch with a soft smile on her face; a couple of curls had fallen onto her face. "Yes, beautiful?"

"We don't have grandparents?" Jade's little head was cocked to the side, studying Carlisle and Esme's face.

"Yeah, we don't?" William asked, curious as well. Whenever the kids in his group talked about their grandparents, he always felt a little left out.

Carlisle and Esme shared a look. They were not anticipating this question at all. Carlisle cleared his throat and leaned over the kitchen table to take his twins hands in his own, "Well," he paused not sure how to continue, "your grandma and grandpa passed away a long time ago, long before you were born," he tried to explain.

"But you're Ness's grandma and grandpa," William piped up, recalling when Nessie came into the house screaming grandma and grandpa that one time, she was trying to give everyone different name, but ultimately ended up sticking with mamma and papa.

"Yes," Esme stated, "we're her grandparents, but sometimes kids don't have grandparents. What you do have is a huge family who loves you two so very much." Esme knew that the twins were soon going to be curious about their family, although she didn't think it'd be this soon.

"Like Ali, and Rosie, and Emmy, and Eddy, and Bella, and Ava, and Ness!" William ticked off all of his sibling's names on his little fingers, so proud of himself.

Esme and Carlisle chuckled, "Good job, baby," Carlisle encouraged, giving William a high five.

"We also have Aunty Carmen and Uncle Eleazar, cousin Tanya, Carmen, and Garrett." Jade reminded William, with a quick elbow to his side.

"You forgot someone." Carlisle reminded them.

"Who?"

"Your two parents who love you so much; we'll always be here for you. You're our little miracle babies," Esme reminded them, reaching over to give them kisses on their head.

**I decided to write a chapter at certain age groups, just because I don't want to drag the story along, or perhaps I'll end it here. **

**Any who, I love every single one of you guys so much!**


	18. Self Defense

**Disclaimer: Stephenie Meyer is the rightful owner of Twilight. **

**~.~.~**

_Six Years Old_

"But why?" Jade's sleepy voice came from her shared bedroom with William. Currently, Jade was resting on the edge of her bed as Esme was opening up the drapes, allowing the morning light to come into their room. The sounds of William's small feet hit the ground as he scampered about the bathroom and towards their place, made Esme grin.

Ever since their move to New York, Esme never saw the need to be away from the twins for an elongated amount of time, however, it was roughly that time again where they would have to move elsewhere; their next move was to Michigan.

Esme sighed, placing Jade's and William's bed on the edge of their bed. The twins had gotten good with changing themselves, and they try to make their beds, yet Esme still goes in to fix it, but she allows them to do their bed regardless, understanding as it caused them some satisfaction. "I have to go, make sure the house is perfect before we move."

William appeared after brushing his teeth, plucking up the set of clothes that Esme had put out for him before gazing up at her, "But mama, you're going to be gone for a long time," he complained, clutching his jeans and sweater close to him.

With swift movements, Esme walked over to William and stroked his hair as he glowered at the knowledge of their mother leaving for the weekend. "Baby, we'll be back in two days, you won't even have a chance to miss us. Besides, Ava is going to pick you up from school! You like it when she picks you up," Esme tried to console the child whose big blue eyes were pouty, like a sad puppy dog.

William nodded and stomped towards the bathroom after Jade emerged from there, dressed and ready to go - Ava had found her in the restroom and braided her locks into intricate braids that converted into a bun at the nape of her neck. "Ready, princess?" Esme asked, handing Jade her sweater and scooped up the girl in her arms peppering her face in kisses

"Ready!" Jade chirped, whirling in the romper than Esme had picked out for her, plucking her backpack from the corner of the room.

"Daddy is going to meet us at the school," Esme called after Jade as she bounced down the stairs, her backpack half her size. Her twins had grown so fast; it made her heart yearn for the two cuddly babies. Ava had volunteered to help her once more, but Esme and Carlisle both recognized not to do so, understanding as it was considered dangerous to have multiple human children live with them at once.

The typical breakfast at the Cullen residence was pancakes, French toast, or oatmeal (much to twins dismay) however, today Esme decided to treat them and prepared crepes with chocolate hazelnut spread with strawberries and bananas. Jade and William both sat around the island, trying to finish the puzzle they were doing the night before.

"Eat," Esme directed, moving their puzzle away to set their plates in front of them. Esme sighed when she observed the way her kids ate in silence, peeping up occasionally to glance at each other before they made a face and then go back down to their food. She sure was going to miss her babies.

**~.~.~**

Ava was studying psychology at the moment, soon to do graduate school, and hoping to get her doctorates degree in psych, if not she'd be content being a counselor of sorts but for children. There were times where she wished there was someone there for her when she was a human child. Right after her class, she drove straight over to the kid's elementary school to pick them up. There was something about being in charge of the well-being of her human siblings frightened her.

Turning off the engine of her car, she grasped her wallet and made her way towards their classroom. There was a couple of parents trickling onto the school grounds. Her eyes hidden behind her sunglasses; the color of her eyes of the richest of gold seeing as she went hunting the morning before her class. The loud sound of the school bell made Ava stand up a tad straighter - the stares of the parents burning a hole on the back of her head.

A pair of little arms wrapped around her waist, feeling the warmth of their body heat radiating through her body. Looking down, she saw her brothers floppy vibrant brown hair and his cheesy grin looking up at her. "Hi, Iam Bear!" Ava purred, a smile rivaling his own.

With a scowl, William crossed his arms across his chest with a loud huff. "I'm not a baby anymore, sissy."

Before Ava could respond, her six-year-old sister came stomping out of her classroom with her teacher in tow. Ava suddenly looked between both her little sister and the teacher, before letting out a sigh. "Ms. Bernard wants to talk to you," she grumbled out, not wanting to look up at her older sister.

Ava nodded and walked closer to their teacher and put on her best face, "Hello, Ms. Bernard. What'd she do?"

Ms. Bernard gave the vampire a tight yet dreary smile, handing Ava the paper that summarized what she did. "Well, we had an altercation today between Jade and another student. Your parents are out of town, correct?"

"Correct."

"Well, William was telling his group about it, and another student found out, so they went to tease Jade saying that they were probably glad to be away from them and Jade got visibly upset - long story short, she punched her."

Ava choked back a chuckle; she knew that Jade was a lot more troublesome than William was, although she never thought that Jade would go ahead and strike someone. "Okay, I'll let my mom know and thank you for letting me know, I'll discuss this with her." Ava murmured, giving the teacher a friendly handshake before taking the little girls hand in hers.

Ava held both of their hands as they made their way towards Ava's car in silence. After Ava made sure that the twins were all buckled up and let the engine purr to life, she guffawed. "Wait, Adeline Jade Cullen, you punched a kid?"

Jade shared a look of uncertainty and shock with William. "Sissy, Samantha was telling me that mama and daddy left because they wanted to get away from us; that we were mistakes." Jade attempted to justify herself.

"It's true, hermana!" William called out from his seat in the backseat of Ava's car.

"Well, mama and papa are away to make sure the house is perfect for the both of you; they wanted you two for so long, trust me baby loves, everyone loves you," Ava went on, peering at them through the rearview mirror, "Anyway, we can go get ice-cream or even ice-cream floats!"

"Mama doesn't let us have a soda," William's little brows were furrowed.

"Well, baby bear, mama isn't home."

**~.~.~**

Ava watched the way the twins gorged their treats - an ice-cream sundae for Jade with fries being dipped into the ice-cream while William opted for a chocolate milkshake. Esme and Carlisle did try to limit their sugar intake. However, their treats were so far between, that when they did get gifts, they savored every single last bite.

Jade glanced over at her sister, scrutinizing the way she just sat there awkwardly stirring in her seat and fiddling with her phone. William and Jade had noticed that most of their family didn't eat, save for Nessie. "Ava, you don't want some?"

Ava looked and up and gave her little sister a look of gratitude, shaking her head. "No, AJ Bear, I'm fine," Ava smiled.

Jade shrugged her shoulders and continued with her treat in peace. "What are we doing this weekend?"

"We can order pizza and watch movies all night long," Ava suggested.

William agreed enthusiastically, bouncing in his seat at the thought of a movie marathon. "Do you think we can go ride our bikes? It's cloudy today?" he said hopefully.

Ava pursed her lips, simulating to think about his request, before nodding with a laugh. "Mm. I have a better idea. Let's go mini golfing," Ava offered.

"Yeah!" Their cries of happiness surprised their older sister - relishing in their joy.

**~.~.~**

The twins had fun playing mini golf - Jade a lot more cheery - and were ready to head home with Ava. The whole way home they were singing along to her playlist; the sunroof is open, letting the fresh air flow through the car. Seeing as it was June and it was their last weeks, or so of school, it was beginning to get warm out.

Once they got in, they deposited their backpacks in the basket in the corner and got over to the puzzle they were working on with the speaker going on behind them playing ABBA songs loud and proud.

"Hi, nuggets!" Emmett boomed from the other room, as he walked in with Rosalie and Alice, arms filled with groceries.

"Hey, Emmett," they both answered in unison and monotoned.

Rosalie and Alice came up to them, kissing their heads before proceeding to unpack the groceries. "Hello, lovelies!" Alice chirped, flittering her way towards the cupboards while Rosalie stocked the fridge, "I saw that you were having pizza tonight, and I was wondering if you wanted to make pizza here at home, it's a lot more fun!" Alice clapped her hands together, bouncing in excitement along with the twins.

Ava rolled her eyes, moving to help them finish with their puzzle. "Maybe we can bake some cookies or a cake."

"I say we do everything, please Ali? Rosie? Sissy?" Jade begged; her hands slamming on the granite island top.

"Stop slamming your hands and yes we can," Ava ordered, giving her a knowing look.

Rosalie, Alice, and Ava along with the twins, helped them make a decent sized pepperoni pizza - all the while Emmett was setting up the family room, creating a massive fort and making sure the tv was working correctly. While the twins were washing up and getting in their pajamas to have their night in, Esme decided to call Ava.

"Hi mama, how's the work on the house going?" Ava spoke over the receiver, holding her phone between her ear and her shoulder as she wiped down the counters.

"It's going amazing! It's almost like our home back in Connecticut," her voice was dreamy, truth be told, their Connecticut home was her favorite. That home brought her Ava; it brought her her babies; that house held her favorite memories.

"It was my first home," Ava sighed, her eyes fixed on the twins running down the stairs, stifling back a chuckle when Jade tripped over a pillow and William just laughed at her while she glared back at him.

On the other end, Esme closed her eyes, reminiscing in the feeling of being complete when she first laid eyes on Ava, "It was, love. Anyway, how are the twins?" Esme shook her head, walking through the half-way finished house, all they had to do was change the floorboards and a couple of appliances, and they'll be good to go.

"Mama, I'm going to be transparent with you, I lost the twins."

"Ava!" Came a panicked shriek from the other end, causing Carlisle to rush at her side.

"Oh, my, mom. They're okay, they're here at the house," she was able to breathe out between her fits in laughter.

"You scared me, Ava Hazel Cullen!"

"You love me. Anyway, Jade punched a kid today. Pretty badass if you ask me."

This time, it was Carlisle that spoke. He was more shocked than upset; he didn't think that his sweet little princess would hit someone, yet she did. "Why would she do such a thing?"

With a sigh, Ava stepped outside to the balcony that was just outside their kitchen. "I guess some girl was teasing Jade relentlessly and Jade got fed up, I'm sure. I did have a talk with her, but I did let her know that I would let you guys come up with the consequences when the time comes," Ava recounted to Carlisle, hoping she did the right thing.

"Thank you, sweetheart; they have a lovely big sister."

Ava scoffed, throwing her head back admiring the stars above her, "Of course they do, they also have lovely parents."

**~.~.~**

Their movie night was a victory, the twins falling asleep midway through the movie Home. They decided to let them sleep there, although they did try to make them as comfortable to their expertise. Ava emphasized on giving them their slumber party experience.

Before the twins had a chance to get up, Ava attempted to make them breakfast - although very unsuccessful at making the hashbrowns. So, she stuck with eggs and toast with a side of sausage. The sweet aroma of the butter melting on the toast filtered through the twin's nostrils, waking them up in the most delightful way.

William and Jade walked into the kitchen as Ava was squeezing oranges while she hummed to the beat of a song from one of the movies the twins were watching last night. "Good morning, baby bears!" Ava sang out, placing a generous helping of eggs and sausage along with the toast on each of their plates.

"Morning, Ava Beta," William teased, knowing that she loathed when he would call her that.

Ava scolded William playfully, bringing over their glasses with juice. "Do you guys miss mama?" Her voice is soft and low.

Jade nodded as she played with her eggs on the plate, "I do. Our first morning without mama," she whimpered.

"Well, mama left once when you were babies, and she was gone for a whole week."

"Really?"

"Yes, now she'll be back tomorrow morning or late tonight, okay baby bears?" Ava moved about the kitchen washing every dish that she dirtied, feeling like a real housewife at this point.

There were times when Ava would take care of the twins, but it was typically only if Esme and Carlisle were both busy and it was only for a couple of hours of the day, she felt as if she was their mother at this point. "Can we go swimming today?" William mumbled against his glass of orange juice.

Ava looked out the window to peep at the pool that was in their backyard. It was decent sized with a covering on top of it to protect it from the elements. Esme had the pool established the winter before they turned five, so they could enjoy it as much as they could. Sometimes, the other Cullen's enjoyed it even if it was during the winter months. "Sure."

**~.~.~**

"My turn!" William yelled as he climbed out of the pool, running towards where Emmett was standing. Emmett had just tossed Jade into the pool with Ava's hands to catch her; it was their favorite 'game' to do when they were out in the pool, mostly because they knew it was safe.

"Come on, little dude!" Emmett's awaiting arms catching the younger boy as he launched himself towards him. They all knew to watch their strength when around the little humans. The squeals and shrills of joy made the gloomy day not so grim.

Rosalie, Alice, and Ness were both lounging by the pool all three gossiping while Edward, Bella, and Ava were in the pool, that is floating around or making sure the twins don't drown.

"Sissy!"

Ava turned after catching her younger brother to see Jade running around the deep end - everything moving in slow motion when she noticed her get closer to the edge and she misses her footing and splash into the deep end. Before anything, she quickly dove underwater, not caring if the twins noticed or not.

If Ava's heart would be beating, she was confident that her heart would be racing at this point. Quickly grabbing Jade by the waist, she pushed herself and Jade up to the surface, hearing everyone let out an unnecessary breath they were holding in. The sweet sound of Jade gasping for air made Ava sigh in relief, placing her on the ground where everyone quickly huddled around her.

"Ness, take her inside," Ava mumbled, her knees feeling weak all of a sudden. Soon, Nessie was lifting Jade, carrying her in a hug style while Jade whimpered into her shoulder.

"Is Jade okay?" William's voice was dripping with worry and panic, his bright eyes wide in anxiety.

Ava nodded, taking William in her arms, caressing his ash brown curls with her fingers. Inside Nessie was assisting Jade into the shower to wash off the chlorine from her body. "Oh, I can't wait until your mom gets home," Ava huffed, turning on the other shower head so he could do the same.

"We have the same mom."

"She's your mom right now."

**~.~.~**

The night was drawing to a close as Ava cuddled with twins on her bed as they were watching a movie on her projector, with both of them laying their head on her lap.

"Thank you, sissy."

"For what?"

"For loving us like mama and papa and for giving as a good time."

Ava hugged William and Jade closer to her, a blanket as a barrier between them, kissing the top of their heads. "I love you guys."


	19. Close to You

**Disclaimer: Stephenie Meyer is the rightful owner of Twilight. **

**~.~.~**

_Ten Years Old_

Michigan was not like New York in the slightest bit, Jade and William observed. Of course, they didn't know much about the world just yet, all they knew was New York, a little bit of Connecticut to go to Nessie's graduation, and Alaska to visit their Aunt Carmen and Uncle Eleazar. Esme was working on a project at a local pre-school to paint a mural on their walls, so Jade and William were perched on one of the benches outside the office waiting for Carlisle. They were very much aware that their father couldn't always come to pick them up right after the bell rang; they had to remain sitting on that exact bench.

William was reading one of the books from his collection, oblivious to the fact that Jade's leg was bouncing, nibbling on her lips until little beads of blood were present. Jade was apprehensive this time around; her grades were not the best when it came to the math area. It was her last year in elementary school, and she was growing anxious. Apart from her grades slipping, on the verge of completing her primary school years, she had a significant crush on a boy in her class.

The sound of their father's Mercedes pulling up the pavement and around the curb pulled the brunette out of her train of thoughts. Her heart was pounding vigorously against her chest; her palms were beginning to get clammy.

"Are you okay?" William was gazing at her with dubious eyes while she fumbled to gather her backpack and her lunchpail, his book tucked underneath his arm while he slung his bag over one shoulder. He heard her breathing hitch up when she neared their car.

"I'm fine," was all she managed to say, wiping her hands on her jeans. The windows in Carlisle's car were pitch black, but she felt her dad's gaze on her. It's as if he knew what was going on with her - all her family knew when something was going on (except for William, of course), it was bewildering.

Jade pushed William out of the way as he was about to open up the door to the back passenger seat. Jade immediately chucked her backpack in the back and rested her head on the window.

"Adeline Jade?" Carlisle's stern voice is heard as faint background noise, as Jade tried to focus on calming her heart beat and her breathing. The world around her was spinning.

"Hi daddy," she barely heard herself utter those words out.

The soothing words of Frank Sinatra's cover of Close to You were flowing out the speaker, lulling her to sleep. Perhaps Carlisle had put the song on to ease her mind a tad - it was a song that he often sang to her when she was having a bad day.

_Five-year-old Jade was sitting down on the edge of the swing set, letting the fall hair play with her light brown hair after she shook it out of her half ponytail that Esme had done that morning. Carlisle stared from the kitchen, his right hand over his still heart, feeling it break at the sight of her sulking outside. He was so accustomed to seeing her berating her twin brother or antagonizing the older siblings to go and play with her. _

_Esme came up to him, wrapping her arms around his waist, his hands coming down to place his hands over hers. "She didn't want to talk to me," Esme sighed, her head resting on Carlisle's shoulder as they watched her swing herself, wiping at her eyes. _

_Carlisle whimpered, examining the way she pulled on her long sleeve to wipe away at the tears that were gushing down her petite face one after another. "Go talk to your princess, love. She needs you; she hasn't seen you all that much lately," Esme pressed her lips to his shoulder, then to the crook of his neck. _

_More valid words have never been spoken - Carlisle has been spending most of his hours at the hospital due to it being flu season, and he was covering for the other doctors. His shoulders slumped at the recognition, William would spend his time with Carlisle while Jade preferably spent most of her time with Esme. _

_Carlisle shouldered open the broad ample glass doors that guided them to their garden that turned into a playground. The fall leaves crunching underneath his feet as he made his way towards his little girl. "Jadie bug," Carlisle called, near the spot where Jade was. _

_His still heart finally broke in half when he saw her usually bright big brown eyes, puffy and red from crying so much. He lifted the five-year-old and hugged her close to him, sensing her tiny body wrack with sobs against his. "Oh, baby girl," his voice cracked as he sat down on the ground, with Jade's arms still wrapped onto dear life around his neck. _

_"I don't want to go to school, daddy," her hoarse voice was barely audible, luckily for Carlisle's super hearing, he picked up everything she said. _

_"Why not, Jadie?" _

_Jade shook her head, leaning back to look at her dad in the eyes. "Jayla made new friends, and they're mocking me."_

_Carlisle's protective impulses desired to make an appearance. Nevertheless, he chocked back his growl. "How long has this been happening?"_

_"Since last week," Jade croaked out, looking down at the ground. _

_"Jadie, you have to tell mommy or me when things like this happen, or even the teacher," Carlisle susurrate, caressing her tendrils. _

_Jade nodded, still wiping at her eyes with the sleeve of her shirt. Carlisle stood up and held her right hand as she was still in her arms; he smiled and kissed her forehead. "Dance with me?" Carlisle beamed, enticing a giggle from his daughter. _

_Jade nodded her head as he spun them around the room, as he hummed to the beat of Frank Sinatra's cover of Close to You, Jade resting her head against his shoulder. "On the day that you were born, the angels got together. And decided to create a dream come true, so they sprinkled moon dust in your hair of gold and starlight in your eyes of blue," he sang to her, relishing in the sight of Jade's smiles, the way her titters fled her body._

_"That is why all the boys in town, follow you all around. Just like me, they long to be close to you," he whispered to her, kissing her cheek. _

_"Love you, daddy."_

_"Love you more, princess."_

The Mercedes pulled into the garage after a long, dreadful car ride. Jade glanced around to examine the cars that were in the garage - all of their cars were there, even her mother's car. Jade lingered in the car a while longer than she needed.

Jade dragged her feet upstairs to enter the room that connects the garage with the laundry room, her backpack hanging low on her shoulders.

"Hi, baby love," her mother's voice startled her, glancing up she saw her putting a load of laundry in, her mother's never changing face smiling down at her, her curls falling around her face while she reached for more clothes.

Jade gave her a tense smile before wrapping her arms around her mother's waist. Esme kissed her head before giving her a tighter hug, sensing that something was wrong with her daughter. "Hi, mama."

"How was school?"

Jade shrugged, moving to open the door and whirled about to gaze at her mother, "It was okay, exhausting. Um, you have to sign my math test," Jade sighed, acknowledging that the truth was going to come out shortly or later.

Esme looked at her and nodded, "Okay, go wash up, Jadie. We'll help you with your math homework after you have lunch, okay?" Jade found solace in the sound of her mother's voice. It was soft and sweet; there were never hints of anger when she spoke about her faults in school work - only real understanding. Her dad was the same way, and she was grateful that she was granted with such understanding parents.

After taking her backpack to her room, she glanced around. Jade tried not to spend too much time in her room; it felt so empty to her. After eight years of sharing the same bed with her brother, Esme decided that she needed a place to herself, although Jade would've been happy if she bunked with Ava. Her room was something that all the girls decorated - it was white walls with yellow accents and sunflowers in a vase, the bedspread was a pale yellow, she had a gray rug underneath the bed, faux sunflower garlands intertwined with fairy lights around the string strung across an entire wall behind her desk.

After changing into leggings and a plain long sleeve, she sluggishly descended the stairs, with her exam folded up in one hand.

William sat on the table with a chicken salad in front of him and a tall glass of lemonade - he was planning on trying out for track soon. Jade sat her pen and paper in front of her, slowly pulling her chair out.

"Do you want spaghetti or salad?" Esme asked, standing over the stove, motioning towards the pot that held the sauced noodles or the mixing bowl that had the salad that her twin was eating.

"Spaghetti, please," Jade answered lowly, standing up to grab water.

Carlisle came down from the stairs, changed from his work attire and into the clothes that made Jade feel like she was in a regular family. As far as she was concerned, her family was as average as it was going to get. They were like the Von Trapp family, of sorts.

Esme sat the plate in front of Jade, her hand lingering on her curls. Her eyes closed at the comforting feeling that Esme's fingers brought. However, everyone joked that she was such a daddy's girl, even though she loved both of her parents just as much. "Thank you, mama."

"Jadie bug, what's wrong? You've been very distant," Carlisle asked, looking at Jade, hearing her heartbeat accelerate when he called her Jadie bug. It was his nickname for her, and it made her feel safe - happier almost.

Jade swallowed hard, before sliding over the dreaded paper towards her father, while Esme gave her a sympathetic look. "I need you to sign it," Jade mumbled, embarrassed.

Puzzled, Carlisle took the paper from the table, the sound of William chewing on his lettuce, and Jade's heartbeat racing was deafening. He opened up the exam, and sure enough, Jade had failed her math exam. She was brilliant in English, and every other subject - math was just her weakness.

Carlisle signed the bottom of the exam, before sliding it over to Jade again. "Jadie bug, what's going on?"

"I just don't understand, daddy," Jade whined.

William got up to wash his dishes, looking over at his sister, "Math is easy, sis."

"For you, you freaking nerd!" Jade snapped, slamming her hands on the table. "I'm sick of you rubbing it in my face that you're smarter than I am, Nicholas!" Jade shouted, tears welling up in her eyes, calling him by his first name, no matter how much he hated it.

"Adeline Jade!" Esme raised her voice, scolding her daughter at the way she reacted, "William, you don't need to tease her so much. Jade, we will help you. You need to ask, baby," Esme sighed, sitting down next her, running her hands over Jade's back, trying to calm her down.

"Everyone is so smart in this family, mama."

Carlisle sighed and moved over to comfort his youngest daughter, taking her small hands in his own. "You are so smart, darling. Perhaps not like your show off brother," he teased, hearing William choke on his drink, "but you are an intelligent girl. Math is just not your strong suit."

"Yes, baby. Even I struggled with math," Esme nodded, admitting that she wasn't the best at math, but she was resilient and was determined to ace the subject.

"You're an architect though, mama," Jade asked, her eyes wide.

"Yes, but it took a while, now, bring your math homework. We'll sit here and help you do your math," Esme kissed her forehead, feeling elated at the way her daughter was smiling.

Jade almost tripped over the stairs as she was running up the stairs to grab her backpack, and raced back towards the kitchen to find her parents cuddling, smiling at whatever they were talking about at the moment. She hoped that one day, she found a love like her parents. Her crush came to mind. However, she knew it was just puppy love.

"And they called it puppy love," Edward came strutting in, singing Puppy Love obnoxiously, while Bella shook her head before heading straight to the bookshelf to retrieve the book she was reading.

"Puppy love?" Esme inquired, her eyebrows raised, knowing why Edward was singing, however, the twins didn't know just yet.

"Jade has a huge crush on some kid named Ruben," William announced, biting into an apple.

"You jerk!"

William smirked and shrugged, "It's true! Don't fret; he fancies you also."

Jade keened and sunk into her chair, shoving her face in her hands, sensing her parent's eyes scorching holes onto her head.

"Aw, my baby has a crush on someone," Esme clutched at her heart, finding it cute that her baby had a crush on someone.

Carlisle sat there, staring at the math homework that Jade had pulled out of her backpack. He was still shocked at the news that she had a crush. "It's just a crush, right?"

"Just a crush, daddy."

"Okay."

**~.~.~**

William was sketching on his worksheet, zoning out the mindless conversation going on around him, already done with the assignment that they were given. Perhaps, he was zoned out for a long time, and he was utterly unaware. A small tap on his shoulder startled him, and he turned around to see who tapped his shoulder. To his surprise, it was one of the girls that he thought was beautiful. Her short black hair was in a low bun, while she wore a plain t-shirt under a pink bomber jacket that complemented her olive skin-tone well. "Library?"

He was taken aback, lost in his admiration for her. Just a couple of weeks ago, he was teasing Jade for having a crush on a kid in his class and yet, here he was, crushing on a girl in his class - Her name was Valentina. "Huh?"

The girl giggled, shaking her head before closing her folder as the bell rang to indicate class was over. "We have to work on our project. So, we can do the library today?" she offered, shoving her things onto her backpack.

William nodded, fumbling with his items. "Uh yeah, or we can work on it at my house," William offered, "I just have to ask my mom if it's okay."

"Oh yeah, that's fine."

William nodded, reaching for the phone that he rarely ever used and quickly dialed his mom's number, the phone only ringing once before she picked up on the other end. "Hi baby," she smiled through the phone.

"Hi mom, I have to work on this project with a classmate, and I was wondering if it's okay if we do it at our house?" he asked hopefully, turning to see Valentina pulling out her phone, her thumbs furiously typing away.

"A classmate?"

"Yeah, her name is Valentina. Ava is picking us up, right?"

"Uh, I don't know, honey. The family hasn't hu-. Sure, call your sister and let her know. Dad or Ava can drive you and the girl back home," Esme replied, stopping herself before she said hunt. The majority of the family were planning on hunting at night while the twins were sleeping, but Esme decided to send everyone else while Valentina was there.

"Okay, thank you, mom."

"Love you, baby."

William hesitated, "You too, mom," William mumbled, hanging up as soon as he could. He cringed, knowing that he unintentionally hurt his mom's feelings by not saying he loved her back, but he didn't want to seem like a dork. "My mom said that it was okay and that my dad or sister can drive you back home," he said, slipping his phone in his back pocket.

Valentina smiled, sliding her bag over her shoulders. "Sounds good, my mom said it was okay. I have to be back at six thirty," Valentina responded quite shyly.

"Oh, that's plenty of time, I have everything we need."

**~.~.~**

Up in the front of Ava's car, was Jade scowling half the time. Truth to be told, she didn't get along with Valentina all that well. She so happened to be friends with Samantha, the girl she struck when she was in first grade.

"Jadie," Ava murmured as she pulled into the garage of their home, waiting for William and Valentina to leave the car.

"I can't stand her," Jade complained, grabbing her backpack from her feet before pushing the door open. "She's such a bitch," she susurrated the last part.

"Stop before mom hears you. Go, Alice is expecting you; she's refreshing your closet."

"Fine."

In the kitchen, Esme was switching off the stove from making grill cheese sandwiches for their after-school snack. Looking up from the oven, she smiled as she saw her son walking in with his classmate in tow; she could tell that both kids were nervous. Jade, on the other hand, stormed in, making a beeline towards Esme.

"Hi, mama," Jade hugged Esme, grown accustomed to her mother's stone cold body - she found solace in her hugs.

"Hi, Jadie," Esme breathed out, kissing the top of her head, ushering her to wash her hands. Jade grabbed a grilled cheese and sauntered off to find Alice in her room. "Do you guys want some grilled cheese?" Esme offered, as William led Valentina over to the kitchen island, both of them pulling out their folders.

"Yes, please, Mrs. Cullen," Valentina said politely, standing up to wash her hands, taking the plate that Esme offered her.

William got up, following Valentina's lead. "Thank you, mom," William offered, his voice low.

Esme gave him a tight smile and nodded, placing the dirty dishes on the sink. "You're welcome."

Valentina and William ate their food in silence, glancing up once in a while to look at each other, but both looked away when the other looked up at them. "You have a beautiful house, sweet and private," Valentina complemented, wiping her hands on a napkin.

"Thanks, ma-mom designed the house," William muttered, ripping off the crust from the grilled cheese - he hated the coat.

Valentina's eyes went wide, shocked. "She's pretty talented."

"Yeah, she is."

The sound of many footsteps startled both William and Valentina, most of the family filing down the stairs, except for Jade and Esme. "Oh, you have a friend," Emmett pointed out, earning him a swat from Rosalie.

"This is my classmate, Valentina. Valentina, these are my brothers, Emmett and Edward, my sisters, Rosalie, Alice. Edward's wife Bella and Bella's niece, Ness," Telling her the story the family has told them since they were babies; just until they were old enough to comprehend their family dynamic.

"Wow, that's a big family," Valentina stated after everyone gave out their pleasantries.

"Yeah, but it's nice sometimes."

"I'm an only child," Valentina whispered, her gaze falling on her part of the project.

William didn't know what to say, at that point, and they continued to work on their project for the rest of their time there. Thankfully, Jade avoided downstairs as much as she could, so he knew that she wouldn't say a smart remark.

Esme was in the living room reading a book, checking on William and Valentina through her spot. Carlisle walked through the door, while Esme was looking up at her son. Carlisle followed Esme's gaze, setting down his coat on the hanger by the door. "Hello, love," Carlisle mumbled, leaning down to kiss his wife on the head.

Esme looked up and pressed her lips to his, "How are you?" She requested, shifting her legs so he could sit under them, as he moved his hands over her legs affectionately.

"It was an easy day. How was yours?"

"William didn't say I love you back," she cried.

Carlisle grinned, moving to embrace Esme. "Someone's jealous," he teased his wife.

Esme rolled her eyes with a smile, closing her book, setting it down on the floor. "You were the one who was moping around the house when we found out Jade had a crush," Esme retaliated, recalling the way Carlisle moved about the house, spending extra time with Jade, taking her out for ice-cream or going on morning hikes through the forest.

"She's my baby girl."

"And he's my baby boy."

Carlisle sighed and let the sound of Ava and Jade laughing upstairs grace his ears while at the same time, William and Valentina were making jokes, giggles erupting from the kitchen. "They're growing up," Carlisle sighed.

Esme nodded in agreement, closing her eyes. "They are. They're going to need to know the truth soon," Esme mumbled.

The dreaded moment was transpiring shortly; they didn't know how and where to begin with telling them that they have a family of vampires and they were conceived out of a sheer miracle by their half-sister's power.

**I enjoyed writing this chapter! I hope you guys enjoyed this as much as I enjoyed writing it!**

**I'll be drawing this story to a close soon, with only a few chapters left, sadly. I want to think everyone who have accompanied me through this journey thus far. **

**Really appreciate you, I really do. **


	20. Truths and History

**Disclaimer: Stephenie Meyer is the rightful owner of Twilight. **

**~.~.~**

_Thirteen Years Old_

The winter season was upon them, and Jade and William couldn't be more ecstatic. It was conceivably their last winter in Michigan - their childhood homestead if you will, seeing as this is the home they remember the most, they hazily remember New York. William gaped out the window of Esme's car as she drove them to school that morning. He was giddy, in hopes to ask his crush since fifth grade to the school dance. On the other hand, Jade was fussing, skimming through the pages in her novel, not paying attention to the words that were composed beyond the leaves.

William bolted out of the car when it became to a complete stop, while Esme looked back to see Jade lazily move to retrieve her belongings. "Jadie?"

Jade looked up at Esme with wide eyes, not expecting for her to address her. "Yes, mama?"

"You okay?"

Jade nodded, reaching over and gave her mom a hug and a kiss. "I'm fine, mama. See you later!" She exclaimed over her shoulder.

Esme sighed and pulled out of the parking lot, driving a beeline towards the hospital. The reality that they were moving away once more in a couple of months has brought a great deal of anxiety to Esme. She dwelled on the idea that she had no clue on the pretense they were going to tell her children - they were no longer young enough to accept that Carlisle acquired a more favorable situation at a small town's hospital. No, they were picking up on that when it was sunny, Nessie would be the one to pick them up or Ava would go but she was wrapped head to toe. Jade and William discerned that it was just them and Nessie eating at the kitchen table.

Once stationed in the parking lot at Carlisle's hospital, she let out a breath she didn't know she was holding in. The smell of antiseptic and hand sanitizer and soap was pungent in the air, not perceptible to the mortal nose. A massive winter coat rested against her shoulders as she marched through the parking lot, her eyes fixed on the set of windows on the west wing, the ones with the shutters continuously partly shut.

The warm air welcomed Esme when she stepped inside the hospital; it felt stuffy almost. The lobby was peculiarly quiet on this distinct morning, only one receptionist in the front desk. Esme casually walked up, her heels reverberating throughout.

"Good morning, Esme," the receptionist, Sandra, greeted before, taking a sip of her coffee.

Esme smiled back at Sandra, a wiggle of her fingers, "Good morning, Sandra. Have a good day!"

The stroll towards the familiar corridor, dodging the doctors and nurses that were bustling about, waving and grinning at the friendly hospital staff, as she made her way towards the coffee-colored door that led her to Carlisle office door, brought her some ease. Esme stood in front of the door, her hand ready to knock on the wooden door before it was flung open.

There stood Carlisle with his hair perfectly combed, with his pearly white smile only widening when he saw Esme, standing there in all her grandeur. "My love," he greeted, engulfing her in a hug. Not seeing her for the past eighteen hours have taken a toll on him; even more so not seeing his two kids who he feels are not slowing down with their growth. In the blink of an eye, they'll be off to high school.

Esme breathed in his scent, faint traces of blood still lingering on his person, the sweet smell mixed with his familiar scent that she came to cherish after all these years together. "Ready, darling?"

Carlisle led her inside his office, while he finished the last of the paperwork he was to do. Esme sat her purse and coat down on the chair that was opposite of Carlisle's chair. Her eyes lingered on the corkboard that was hung behind his head. Along with the essential notes and papers that are pinned there, there were pictures of their family. Ava's first family portrait with the Cullens, Carlisle was cradling both twins a couple of days old, Esme concentrating on a painting in her studio, a picture of just the twins. Esme's heart swelled with pleasure and passion; it only made her anxieties grow when she thought of her children finding out the truth. Of course, they won't be provided the choice of their mortality now; however, they will be aware of their options.

"Ready," Carlisle drew her out from her thoughts. Carlisle offered Esme his hand, which she graciously took.

**~.~.~**

The noise of the clock ticking silently behind them, their eldest teenaged vampires flittering about the household. Despite the ground being covered in a blanket of white plush snow, the sun was making its appearance through the clouds. Esme sat at the love seat in front of the fireplace with a throw blanket sprawled against her lap. Carlisle entered after changing from his work clothes and freshening after a long night at the hospital.

"How are we going to tell the kids?" Carlisle asked, sitting on the love seat opposite from her. Esme looked up from the blanket that she was fiddling with her fingers and gracefully moved to sit on his lap.

Esme pursed her lips, running her fingers through his damp hair. "We can tell them that our family is... different," she offered, not precisely sure how they would tell their beloved twins that they are humans and that the rest of their family are vampires.

"Darling, they know we're different," he chuckled, pulling his wife closer to him. He nuzzled his nose into her hair, breathing in a deep scent of her scent - vanilla and freesias, "however, we need to tell them the truth. They deserve to know. When they turn eighteen, we will give them the option if they want to stay human."

"That sounds like a good plan, my love."

Carlisle and Esme spent the day together, developing various blueprints for their new house. They weren't sure where they were to go next; Chicago or Wisconsin, Ashland to be exact. If they were to live in Ashland, they would move back to her first home as a vampire. With renovations of course. It's been enough time, she decided after dwelling on the thought after all these years.

The blueprints sprawled over the kitchen table, with soft music playing the background when the door was thrown open, and the bickering of their twins filled their ears.

"Daddy!" Jade's excited cry was like music to Carlisle's ear, while Esme looked up with a grin from ear to ear.

Carlisle waited for Jade to jump into his arms like she forever did, to drop her backpack like she eternally did - and when she did, he felt the world pause. He knew that he wasn't always going to be her number one, it was apparent to him when she got into an argument with him because Carlisle wouldn't let her go to a midnight showing with her friends - so he tried to bask in every ounce of adoration that she was exhibiting.

The same goes for William; however, he bottled all of his frustrations and worries much like Carlisle, and when he had enough, he blew up. Carlisle found William berating his sister over eating the last apple, while Jade tried to dismiss him. Or when he yelled at Esme when she asked him to clean his room after she asked him once and he ignored her request. Perhaps it was his raging hormones, but there were numerous times where he had sat down with William in his study.

"Hi, Jadie bug," he greeted, hugging his daughter. William walked up to Esme and hugged her before hugging his father. "Hey, little foot," Carlisle teased, knowing that William hated being called little foot, although he was obsessed with the Land Before Time to this day.

"We're moving again?" Jade's voice sounded disappointed, looking over to Esme with those sad eyes that made Esme melt. Jade quickly went over to Esme's open arms and hugged her tight. "Mama, are we moving?"

Esme sighed, kissed her head. They didn't foresee to disclose the news of moving and their parent's truth. Esme's silence was deafening to Jade's and William's ears. "AJ Bear," Esme's voice made Jade's eyes well up with tears - Esme only called Jade that when they were telling them that they were moving or when she needed her to understand something important. Like when Jade was fuming at the fact that Carlisle wouldn't let her go to the showing and she couldn't understand why, or the time she was six when Jade couldn't understand why some kids didn't like her.

"It's not fair! Mama, we move when we're finally getting adjusted!" Jade cried out.

"Seriously, Mama. How many promotions can dad get?" William asked, examining the blueprint that was on the table. He's gotten good at reading the designs, along with Jade throughout the years.

Carlisle and Esme shared a look; it was now or never. "Jadie and Will, why don't we go to my study?"

William and Jade both gulped, beads of sweat forming above their brow. The followed Esme and Carlisle up the stairs to the hallway that led them to their father's study. On the way there, they passed Ava's room, and they heard something crack in there with laughter coming from Ava and Ness, along with Alice.

The room was light and airy when they walked into the study, a bit cold. It was always cold in the winter seasons; the twins got used to it at this point. Carlisle sat on his chair, while Esme sat on the arm of the chair, with his hand resting on her hip. William and Jade both took their seats, their hearts drumming rapidly against their chests.

"I'm sorry I raised my voice. I did-" William started, his palms up.

"You're not in trouble, darling," Esme chuckled, interrupting William's pleas.

William looked as confused as ever, letting his dad say whatever he needed to say. "There's something we've been hiding from both of you," Carlisle started.

"We're adopted?" Jade blurted out.

Carlisle shook his head and ran his fingers through his head, not sure how to continue. His eyes landed on a Polaroid picture that was in one of his open drawers. It was a picture of Esme in the late 60's; her hair was in a high ponytail, her outfit consisted of high waisted jeans with flats and a polka dot button-down shirt. She was out in the garden laughing, her skin glistening in the sunlight. He thanked Alice for dating the polaroid, perhaps she somehow knew. "Look at this," Carlisle spoke softly, sliding the picture towards the twins.

Jade and William both looked at the picture, with the worn-out edges aged with time. "It's a picture of Mama," Jade looked up, her brows perked high.

Esme smiled and shook her head. "You're right, love, but look at the date."

They both looked at the date, confused. It said in 1963. Their parents couldn't be that old; they were only in their thirties, to their knowledge. "You're not that old," Jade laughed, hoping it was just a joke.

"No, it's not. Do you guys ever wonder why we never eat with you guys? Or it seems that we only live in gloomy places or when the sun is out Ness or Ava pick you up from school?"

William shrugged, looking at his father with mystified eyes. "We thought you guys were just on a weird diet or something."

Jade nodded in agreement, looking at both of their parents. They shared the same colored eyes, the same glowing eyes that their siblings shared, except for Ness. "Why do we move around a lot?" Her voice was quiet, much like a mouse.

"We can't stay in one place for too long," Esme whispered.

"Why?" Her voice was louder, looking at her parents with sharp eyes.

Carlisle took Williams and Jade's hands in his; they've grown accustomed to their families cold touch. "Because we are not like you two."

"How are you not like us?" William questioned.

"We're vampires." Esme finally spoke those dreaded words out their kids.

"Vampires?"

"Yes."

"Like blood-sucking vampires?" William slurred out, in shock. Jade looked down at the floor, her eyes welling up with tears.

Esme breathed in, her fingers twitching to take her baby in her arms. "We only hunt animals, darling."

"How old are you?" Jade squeaked out, looking up at her dad, tears streaming down her face.

"I was born in the 1600s while Mama was born in 1895," Carlisle finally admitted.

"Wait, so you were born way before, mama?" William couldn't help but smile at the idea.

Carlisle cracked a smile and nodded. "I was changed when I was twenty-three. I changed Edward first, then mama, then Rosie, then Emmett, and Alice found us on her own. Edward turned Bella because Ness almost killed her during childbirth."

Jade nodded, comprehending what was going on. "What about Ava? Why did you change everyone?"

Esme leaned in closer and kissed each of her children's foreheads. "I first met Carlisle when I was sixteen. I broke my leg, and he was my doctor. Fast forward four years, my parents made me marry an awful man," Esme's voice was low, yet her kids were hanging onto every word she spoke. "I was married to him for six years. I found out I was pregnant, and I ran away. I wanted a better life for my baby. I didn't know I was having twins. Your brother, Joseph, died two days later. However, Ava was still alive when I decided to take my life. I didn't know about her." She couldn't bear to continue.

Carlisle rubbed her knee, trying to comfort her. "I was working at the hospital that night when they took your mama in. I remembered her from all those years ago; I couldn't bear to watch her die. So I changed her."

William nodded, grasping what was going. "That doesn't explain Ava."

"Ava went on to live with my parents for about five years. Then her father came for her. He was just as awful to her as he was with me, some nomad turned her. She found me a couple of years later, and when she did, she helped us have you two." Esme smiled, her voice cracking with every word she spoke.

"Us?"

"Ava has this beautiful power of helping people who want babies have them, and she knew how much I wanted it. Here you are," Esme grinned, looking lovingly at her two children.

"Power?"

Carlisle nodded, leaning back in his chair. He was glad that the twins were so calm and understanding. "Edward reads mind, Alice sees the future, Bella has a protective shield, and Ava had that power."

"Badass," Jade whispered, a smile creeping up her face.

"So are we..."

"No, you're human." Carlisle laughed.

"Aunt Carmen and Uncle Eleazar are vampires too?"

"Yup."

"What about the garlic and all that?"

"Myth."

Esme smiled at her babies; they were all grown up now. "We want you guys to know the truth. It is of utmost importance that you guys keep this a secret," Esme pleaded.

"Pinky promise!" Jade cried, sticking out her pinky, followed by William sticking his pinky out.

They all made a promise with pinkies, answering any and every question the twins had.

They were so glad that they finally had this conversation, now all that was left was if they were going to choose this lifestyle.

They have five more years to go.

**One or two more chapters left to this story! **

**Hope you guys enjoyed so far! **


	21. Human

**Disclaimer: Stephenie Meyer is the rightful owner of Twilight. **

**~.~.~**

_Sixteen Years Old_

The twins acclimated well to their new town - Ashland. In a way, they have made their peace with the fact that they never really had a permanent childhood home, something Esme and Carlisle felt entirely guilty for. Carlisle thought it was best to move to their old home, Esme's first home in fact. Of course, there were renovations to be done, transforming their home to a villa of sorts, to accommodate their large family. Along with the twins, it was Ava's first time living in Ashland - her birthplace. Both the twins and Ava felt a heartfelt pull when they set foot in the home, the way Esme, Carlisle, and Edward both eased when they saw the house.

Jade and William were doing remarkably well in high school, Jade being the captain of the color guard team at their high school, was doing a lot better in math, yet Carlisle and Esme still sat there countless hours through the night teaching her the rules of pre-calc. William was in the school's track team. However, he was struggling with his schoolwork, even with his parent's as his tutors, or his older siblings.

In the car that Carlisle and Esme had boughten for Jade - her prized possession, a white Honda Civic - sat Jade and William. They knew that they were only going to have less than two years to decide whether or not they wanted to become immortal. Jade's hands were on the steering wheel, as she dazed off hazily into the distance of the school's parking lot. The sound of the rain hitting the windshield brought an easing comfort to them both. William had his head pressed against the window, his eyes closed shut, letting the sound of Jade's music flow around him.

"You have to tell mom," William's soft, concerned voice was almost inaudible to Jade's mortal ears.

Her eyes were glazing over, as her grip only got tighter on the steering wheel, her knuckles almost white at this point. Jade's eyes were empty; there was no sense of emotion. "No," she whispered, her voice hoarse.

William huffed, throwing his hands up in the air - exasperated. His heart ached for his twin sister, something Ava had convinced them that it was a twin thing. "Jadie, he hurt you!" His voice was becoming louder, in a fit of rage.

Jade had been seeing a boy in her grade; she was assured that they were in love. However, he proved her wrong today. Jade must have caught him at a bad time when she walked up to him, for he grabbed her by the arm, and shoved her out the way. The bruises on her arms were reminders that she had fallen blindly in love with him; the scrapes on her knees were reminders that he never did. "Mama will tell dad," her voice cracked, blinking back to the tears that were threatening to stream down her face.

"I don't care, Adeline Jade!"

"I do! Do you not know how protective they are of us? More so now that we're expressing feelings of not wanting to be immortal like them?!" Her eyes wide, red, and puffy with tears flowing down her face like a river.

William hung his head, nodding it. It was true, Esme had walked in on them discussing their plans for college, and trips they wish to go on soon. It broke Esme's heart to bits and pieces, knowing that they wanted to live a healthy life or as healthy as it's going to get. "Especially now, we're back to where it all started for her."

"Exactly," she whispered, turning the car on before speeding out of the schools parking lot.

The scenery towards their home was something that they learned to appreciate over the years; leaving the city limits, leaving the town's border; entering the forests, basking in every inch of green that they could get. The sound of the soft melodies in the background almost lulled her to sleep. Regularly, Jade drove home by herself; however, William chose to ride with her - make sure she was okay.

Once Jade pulled into the driveway, William immediately exited the vehicle, with his backpack and books in hand. His head was turning back every couple of steps, noticing that his sister was still in the driver's seat, unmoving from her spot. With a heavy sigh, he pushed the door open, moving swiftly about the house up to his room. The house was unusually quiet - no sounds of someone breaking anything, no one crashing through the floors, nothing.

There were times where he did think that being immortal was terrific, like having super speed and strength. However, Jade declared many times where she didn't wish to become like her family. That she wanted to appreciate and experience every human thing without holding anything back. How could he live on forever without his twin sister? His confidant, his best friend?

A cold hand on his shoulder interrupted his rambles inside his head. Startled, he looked up from his spot on the bed to see his mother standing there with a confused look on her face. It was an odd sight to see; his mother not aging a single day was something he always found fascinating. He found solace in the fact that no matter how old William gets, he will always have his mom with him, although he can't say the same for all of his friends.

"Hi, mom," he breathed out, a small smile on his lips. He ran his fingers through his honey-colored hair, disheveling it.

Esme kissed him on the forehead how she always did, running her fingers through his hair. "Hi, sweets. How was school?" Esme asked, moving around the room, picking up his dirty laundry, watching William.

William squirmed, under his mothers gaze. "School was...school."

The pile of dirty laundry in her arms, she raised a skeptical eyebrow at him as she now faced to face with him. "Nicholas William Cullen," she prodded, her voice low and her gaze hard.

"Okay I might have punched Tony..." he trailed off, rubbing the back of his neck with his palm. He watched his mothers face change, anger, disappointment, confusion.

"Iam, why would you do su-" she didn't finish her sentence by being interrupted by Williams stammers.

"Mom! He hurt Jade!" He emphasized the word hurt, mimicking the way Tony grabbed Jade earlier. "He hurt her! What was I supposed to do? Just sit back and watch that bastard hurt her?" He asked, his eyes pleading his mom, seeing the way her eyes had become filled with hurt and sorrow.

Esme swallowed a lump that had formed deep in her throat. "He hurt her? Where is she now?"

"She's in the car; she refused to come out."

Esme nodded, dropping the laundry in front of her before making a beeline towards the driveway. If her heart were beating, it would be beating like a drum against her chest; she felt as if the floor was going to cave underneath her feet. The very thought of someone hurting them, made Esme boil wit; especially now more than ever. This only brought flashbacks.

Once out the door, she spotted Jade's car, clear as day. She heard the sniffles coming from inside, a sound that has broken Esme one too many times over the years. Esme slowly approached the car in hopes of not startling the young girl. Once there, she opened the door, and the sight before her ultimately crushed her. "AJ Bear," Esme gasped out.

There Jade sat in the driver's seat, her makeup ruined and smeared all over her face, her hair looked like she was pulling at it, her chest had scratches all over it. The way Jade turned to look at Esme, her eyes low, puffy, and red, before she began to sob again. "Mama," Jade's soft voice was barely heard. Her arms were quickly thrown around Esme's shoulders - in an attempt to bring her mothers to embrace to her as close as she could.

"Oh my love, I'm here," Esme cooed, running her fingers through her daughter's dark brown hair, gently untangling the knots that were present in her lengthy, curly hair.

"It hurts," Jade cried out, her body shivering; partly because of her mother's cold frame and the other part was because her sobs were strong enough to break through her body.

They sat there in that embrace for a long, Esme cooing and humming without tune into her ear. The headlights of Carlisle's car caused Jade to jump.

"Don't tell daddy," she pleaded.

"Don't tell daddy what?" Carlisle asked, opening the passenger door, the rain beating down on his back, slowly soaking his clothes.

Carlisle's bright golden orbs stared back at Jade's beautiful brown, tired, and glossy eyes. Jade stared back at those eyes that she knew were full of compassion and love for her. Jade blinked back tears, looking away as soon as she saw her father's eyes turn a pitch black.

**~.~.~**

Two pairs of golden eyes and one pair of bright blue eyes were gawking at Jade at the moment. Her gaze was locked on her hands lying on her lap, her left-hand toying with the ring on her right ring finger - the ring that Alice had gotten her last Christmas. She lifted her gaze to glower at William, knowing well that he was the one that told their mom.

"Jadie, let me see," Carlisle's soft voice was the first to break the silence. She moved her gaze from her twin brother to her father; whos arms were resting on her mother's shoulders.

With a sharp breath, Jade moved her hands from her lap to push down the sleeve of her sweater, revealing the significant purple marks that were marking her peach-colored skin. Soon after, she slid the blanket off her lap; her knees were cleaned up now. However, they were splotchy and were rigorously scraped. "It's not too severe," Jade's meek voice uttered out, her eyes pleading with her parents.

Esme slowly moved towards Jade, "AJ Bear, but this can get out of hand. That's how it started with Charles and I. This was not okay," Esme pleaded, taking her hands in hers, kissing the back of her daughters hands.

William was staring at her knees at this point, rage building up in every single inch of his body. "He's dead. You'd think an eighteen-year-old would be smart enough not to treat someone like that," he spat through his teeth, not noticing the look that Jade was giving him to be quiet.

"He's eighteen?"

"He just turned eighteen!" Jade cried out.

Carlisle threw his hands up in the air, rubbing his face wands over his face before turning to look at Jade in the eyes. "Adeline Jade, you guys just turned sixteen," his voice rising with every word he spoke.

Esme, William, and Jade gawked at Carlisle with eyes of bewilderment; they've never seen Carlisle so frustrated with Jade. As much as Carlisle refutes every accusation that comes his way, he coddles her and William - Jade a tad more than William. "What does it matter? You're like two centuries older than mom," Jade muttered.

Carlisle stood there, his mouth open wide. William was trying to hide a smile that was creeping up; Jade never talked back to their parents. "It's not the same thing," he chose his words carefully, pinching the bridge of his nose, "we were both adults."

"Mom was sixteen when you first met her."

"I don't want you talking to him again, am I clear?" Carlisle spoke in a firm voice, his heartbreaking when he noticed tear after tear streaming down her small face.

"Fine," Jade spat out, grabbing her blanket from the floor, and storming out of the room, the sound of thunder reverberating throughout the house.

Jade walked through the house quite aimlessly; wandering through the different corridors, following the noise that came from downstairs of someone watching a movie in the family room with the surround sound on full blast. On the way there, she stopped by her bedroom, slipping on her shoes and grabbing a sweater. There was a moment of hesitation when she walked past her desk that held her keys on the top.

"Jadie," the sound of her mother's voice came down the hall, concern ridden all over her voice, "AJ Bear, please we need to talk darling."

"I'm going out for ice-cream, mom," Jade mumbled, jingling the keys in her hand.

Esme appeared in the doorway; a small pint of ice-cream in her hands along with a spoon. "I know you perfectly well, Jade."

"I know," Jade whispered, taking the ice-cream from her mother's hands and leading her back to her bed, kicking off her shoes and inviting her towards her bed. "Mom, do you think dad is mad at me?"

Esme hugged her daughter, kissing the top of her head. "No, my love. He's just upset that someone hurt you. He was fuming when William told him; I had to calm him down," Esme chuckled, shaking her head.

"I thought he was different."

"Oh, baby love, he isn't your one. He was just a learning experience; you'll know to see the signs."

"You and dad have it so, perfect though," Jade's voice was quiet, as she shoved a spoonful of the cookie dough ice cream in her mouth, "Mom, I think I'm going to go to Jasmin's house if that's okay."

Esme nodded, "Go, be back before eleven, though."

Jade hugged Esme and slipped on her shoes once more before running out the door.

Jasmin was her close friend since they moved to Ashland; she was her best friend. Jade sent out a text letting her know that she would be there in twenty minutes, running towards the front of the house and out the door.

"Jade, where are you going?" William's voice called from the door as she opened her door.

"To Jasmin's!"

"Be careful!" William called out, closing the door.

**~.~.~**

The rain was getting harder, and to top it off, there was fog coming in. Jade tried her best to drive at a reasonable speed to not put herself or anyone else on the road in danger for that matter.

While Jade was driving towards her friend's house, William sat down on his bed, fiddling with his phone. There was something uneasy about him; something didn't feel right. Since the moment Jade stepped foot outside, there was an uncomfortable feeling in his chest and his stomach. Why was he feeling like this?

Thunder was becoming more and more prominent, the flashing of lightning made him jump every time. He heard some discussion of whether or not it was a good idea to play baseball during this thunderstorm. They've only ever seen them play baseball once, and it turned them off regular human baseball forever.

He was about to curl underneath the covers when he heard the worst sound he could imagine, sending shivers up his spine, his skin crawling.

"Carlisle! Esme!" Alice's blood-curdling scream was heard throughout the house, and soon after, his mother's own blood-curdling cry.

**~.~.~**

Jade was pulling up to a stoplight, only five minutes away from her friend's house. The red light was barely visible through the fog and the rain. Jade rested her head back on her seat and let out a sigh, her music playing quite loudly - the Killers playing proudly.

Headlights were coming her way, but she didn't think much of it; however, when she saw those bright, blinding lights coming towards her at high speed, her eyes widened in shock before she felt the strong impact of the truck rear-ending her. The collision sent her towards traffic, then soon she felt the car collide with another vehicle.

How long has she been slipping in and out of consciousness? The last thing she remembered was the sound of ambulances and police sirens wailing in the distance and warm hands pulling her out of the car.

**~.~.~**

Carlisle's vehicle was speeding down the road, making a beeline towards the hospital; the hospital that he worked at in fact. Esme was in the passenger seat her face in her hands, her body shaking in sobs that were racking her body.

"It's my fault; I let her go," Esme cried into her hands, feeling the Mercedes lurching itself forward, as Carlisle stepped on the breaks.

"No, darling, it was not your fault," Carlisle reached out with one hand, rubbing her back lovingly.

He was holding everything he was feeling in; trying to hold down the fort for him and his wife. His daughter was currently in the hospital, sitting in an emergency room, possibly in an operating room. His only daughter was potentially fighting for her life.

She made it clear that she didn't want to be changed, under any circumstance.

Esme was still sobbing, clutching onto Carlisle's arm once they pulled into the parking lot and they stormed into the hospital, quickly be directed to a waiting room

How were they to abide with that? Can they follow her wishes even if she was just sixteen? They needed their daughter with them for as long as they could.

**Sincerely apologize for the delay! I was out on vacation for two weeks, and when I got to edit this chapter, my laptop crashed. **

**So, I had to start over. **

**I am very torn however; I was planning on only writing two more chapters including this one. Didn't plan for my Jadie Bug to get into an accident, but it did. **

**Now, I ask is do I end it at them being sixteen? Jade makes it out alive or changed? **


	22. Sound of Silence

**Disclaimer: Stephenie Meyer is the rightful owner of Twilight. **

**~.~.~**

Forty-five elevator dings and three of Carlisle's colleagues checking in on him and Esme later, they still had no news.

The patriarchs of the family have not moved ever since they took their seats in the waiting room. Esme's left hand overwhelmed in Carlisle's hands, as he outlined circles on either side of her hand. Her eyes were closed, as her head was rested on Carlisle's shoulder, to hide her eyes; her eyes that contained no sign of tears or exhaustion. Carlisle shifted in his seat, his eyes fixed on the small coffee table that had a copious amount of scuffs and stains.

After an hour or two of sitting and waiting; Carlisle decided to wander off towards the chapel. Esme had gone off to ask a nurse if she had an update on the operation, this being a perfect time for Carlisle to go. The trip to the chapel reminded him of the times that Carlisle would take the kids to Sunday morning mass, each twin sitting on either side of him. He taught Jade and William how to pray. It's been a while, however, that Carlisle has gotten on his knees and prayed. So, that's precisely what he did; he prayed for his daughter harder than he has ever supplicated for his children. How long has he been in there for, clutching the cross that was around his neck? He wasn't sure, although, the arms of his loving wife being enveloped around him lured him out of his stupor.

"The kids should be here soon, my love," Esme whispered, her lips close to his ear - gently touching her lips to his temple, letting them linger there. With one more squeeze of the cross, Carlisle took his wife's awaiting hand and let her lead them back to the waiting room.

Thoughts of how to change his daughter have been tormenting his mind; if it did resort to that. They could take Jade home after her surgery, declaring that they want in-home care. Carlisle could sneak her out of the hospital; nevertheless, that would raise plenty of suspicions. Carlisle couldn't come close to fathoming the idea of losing his only biological daughter so shortly. Sixteen years was nothing compared to three centuries - or a century that he possessed beside his other children.

Another elevator ding reverberated through the hospital corridors, the fragrance of his children overwhelming the air; one heartbeat racing fast. No one dared to utter a single word.

William took a seat next to Carlisle, lingering for a second. Carlisle reached his free hand for his son; for his son who reminded him so much of him when he was his age. The only deviation was that William took after Esme in the hair department, everything else was Carlisle; much to everyone's astonishment when he got older. William wasn't one who would hug his father in that matter, but he reached over to hug his dad.

Carlisle hid his face in his son's brown hair, breathing in his fragrance. It was similar to Jade's, although his daughter's scent was a lot sweeter, reminded him of freesia's and strawberry milk for whatever reason. His eyes glazed over, the mental image of Jade's tired and hurt eyes staring back at him after he told Jade that she wouldn't be able to speak to the boy.

"You won't lose another child, Esme," the sound of Edwards reassuring voice made Carlisle's head whip forward. His eldest son breaking the deafening silence.

"I can't lose another child here, Edward," Esme susurrate out, clutching Ava's hand when Ava stooped down next to her, "I can't lose my baby."

Silence.

Alice perched up straighter, her eyes dull and out of focus. Just as she opened her mouth to let the room know what it was that she saw, the footfalls of one of Carlisle's co-workers brought him to his feet. Esme stood up, softening down the creases in her blouse, as Esme clung onto his side while the doctor approached them. "Carlisle," Amelia's low voice echoed as she met them halfway, her scrub cap in her hands, a modest smile gracing her lips.

"Amelia, ho-how is she? Jade?" his voice was anxious; he was never on this side of the conversation. Carlisle typically was the one letting the family know whether sympathies were in order or if everything operated smoothly.

Amelia sighed and laid her hand on Esme's shoulder, giving her a tender squeeze. "Jade is stable, we were able to stop the bleeding," a profound sigh erupted from everyone in the room, "there were crushed ribs and knees; her left lung was perforated by the bone. Now, we did remove the blood so she should be healing accurately."

Esme felt her body go weak with relief, that her baby was okay. Carlisle squeezed his wife close to his body, kissing the top of her head multiple times. "Can we see her?"

"Of course, now, she is still under substantial sedatives to help with the pain; so it's only a matter of time for her to regain consciousness," Amelia apprised. With a beckoning finger, she motioned for Carlisle and Esme to follow her towards Jade's room.

The footfalls of the trio echoed through the pristine corridors; Carlisle hugging Esme to his side, trailing shortly behind Amelia.

Blood. Dry blood and strawberry milk were what was detected in the next room. Esme gasped in a sharp breath, as the odor wafted her nostrils; a lump forming in Carlisle's throat. Was he prepared for the sight that he was to see?

Seems that Esme had the same sentiments, her grip was getting tighter on his hold when Amelia stopped in front of a room. "I can't..." Esme stammered, as Carlisle lightly tugged on her arm.

Carlisle motioned for Amelia to leave them alone, offering her a friendly smile when she nodded and moved to leave. His hands were placed securely on either side of Esme's hips, his lips pressed on her forehead. "Darling, our baby is in there. Jadie Bug is alive and well," he hummed against her, closing his eyes momentarily.

If only the sight in front of them was the sight of their happy daughter was what greeted them. The only thing that gave Carlisle some sort of solace was that she was breathing. "Okay," Esme nodded, turning around and followed Carlisle's lead.

Although Jade was washed up from any residual blood, the dry blood smell was pungent. There were lacerations all over the top of her face, Jade's face was red and puffy. Her arm was protected in gauze while the other one was in a cast. In a matter of hours, their daughter has gone through so much. Carlisle's eyes studied the rest of her body, discerning various cuts and scabs all throughout.

"Oh, my AJ Bear," Esme gasped out, leaning next to Jade's bedside, stroking her hair, her face contorting as she tried to hold in sobs. "My sweet baby love, you're okay." she breathed out, looking over to Carlisle with a look of thankfulness; that their daughter was okay.

Carlisle let out an unnecessary sigh, rubbing his face in his hands. Looking up to the heavens, he sent up a silent thank you to the man above. "Jadie Bug, you're such a fighter," Carlisle whispered, his lips turning up, as he kissed her head.

When he looked over, Carlisle saw Esme trying to hold in sobs, as she held onto her daughter's hands; watching the way she was observing the way her chest rose and fell. "Darling, come here," he whispered, patting on his lap.

Esme gradually made her way over to Carlisle, curling up to his side, breathing in his scent. "Our Jadie Bug is okay," Esme breathed out, relishing in the feeling of Carlisle stroking her back with one hand and the other playing with her hair.

"She's okay."

**~.~.~**

The rest of the family were still in the waiting room, Ava was hugging William to her side as they waited for their parents to return from visiting their sister. Rosalie and Emmett both stared off into the distance; snuggled close to one another. As repugnant as it seemed, William noticed the way, Bella and Edward were gazing into each other's eyes, having a speechless conversation he reckoned. Alice was fiddling with her fingers, attempting to see his twins future. Ness was sipping a hot chocolate while she fiddled with something on her phone.

"Anything?" William whimpered, looking up at his psychic sister from beneath his lashes. Every five minutes, he asked the same question. Would he feel it if his twin has passed? Was it really a twin thing?

Alice sighed and held up a finger, telling him to hold on. A beat of silence filled the room, Edward let out a sigh of relief while Alice gasped out and smiled momentarily. "She'll be waking up in three minutes. We'll be able to see in her in twenty."

William nodded, tears advancing to stream down his face. "It's okay, sweets. It's okay, let it out," Ava cooed, grazing her hand up and down his arm, trying to soothe her aching brother.

"I thought she would have died!" He wailed out, vigorously wiping every lone tear that fell from his bloodshot blue eyes. "I should've driven her there. I-I," he stammered, being overtaken by sobs - not permitting him to muster another word.

Ava pulled him into a tight hug, kissing his floppy caramel hair. "It's okay Iam Bear. There was nothing you could've done, lovely. There was nothing you or any of us could've done," Ava choked out, blinking back ghost tears.

"But Alice saw," William murmured out, shaking his head.

"Alice saw five seconds ere it occurred, it was too late, honey. She is fine."

"Adeline Jade is okay," William acknowledged, crying.

**~.~.~**

"Do you know how scary it was, Carlisle?" Esme stared at her daughter, who was still in her stupor. Hoping she'd wake up soon, but from what she heard, she'd be waking up any minute.

Carlisle hummed against her hair, as he gazed at Jade's monitors, carefully judging her stats. "I wish I could fathom even just a tad what was going through your mind," he turned to look at Esme in the eyes, noticing the pain in her eyes.

Esme sighed and reached up to kiss his nose. "I couldn't lose another child here. The what-ifs were swarming my head," she sighed, cocking her head to the side, "what if it was a mistake moving here? Am I cursed here in Ashland? Then, we got the news that our Jade was okay; that she was safe."

"I'm sorry for bringing us here, love," Carlisle sighed, shaking his head.

"No, no, darling. I'm so happy being back where it all started; where we started. If it weren't for you, I wouldn't have our lovely family," Esme took his face in her hands, kissing every inch of his face lovingly.

"Gross," a hoarse voice came from within the room. Esme and Carlisle quickly turned their head to see Jade's eyes open halfway.

Esme scampered off of Carlisle's lap and pampering her daughter with gentle kisses on every spot that wasn't bruised. "Oh, my baby love."

"Don't kill me, I barely made it out alive," Jade moaned, moving her arm to grab her head, given the fact that it was throbbing.

Carlisle was quickly at her side, grabbing her excellent hand, giving it a gentle squeeze. "Jadie Bug, what matters is that you're okay. You gave us a good scare. I love you so much, Jadie," he breathed out, pressing his lips on her forehead, sensing her body tremble as she was defeated with sobs.

"Daddy, don't be mad at me. I'm sorry for storming out, and I'm sorry for lying," she cried, grimacing whenever she moved ever so slightly.

Carlisle caressed her curls, shaking his head, not moving his lips from her forehead. "No, my love, no one is mad at you," he whispered, keeping eye contact with Esme.

Esme nodded and kissed her cheek before looking her in the eye. "We love you, Adeline Jade Cullen."

"I changed my mind," Jade whimpered, moving her head slightly to look over at her mother. "I want to be changed," she whispered, swallowing a lump that was forming in her throat.

Esme and Carlisle both shared a look, there was still a pain in Esme's eyes that Carlisle could not pinpoint. Would he be able to do it if she wasn't in danger?

"Are you sure?" Esme croaked out, clearing her throat.

Jade nodded to her fullest extent, without hurting herself. "Not now, not soon. I still want to do all these human things," she managed to mutter out before she began to feel drowsy.

Esme sighed and gave her a tight smile, "Anything you want, my AJ Bear," she kissed her swelled, red fingers, "get some rest, baby."

Carlisle and Esme slowly made their way out the room, lingering by the doorway, as they watched her drift off to a deep slumber. "What are we going to do?" Esme asked as they shut the door behind them as they made their way towards the rest of the family.

Carlisle sighed and pulled her to her side, nodding at a fellow that walked by them. "We'll have to wait until she decides she's ready."

The couple strolled hand in hand down the hallway, the sound of Esme's heels clicking on the tiles loud and clear. As of right now, they were just glad that their daughter was out of risk. "Our William has been ready, he's just been following his sister's lead," Esme's crooked smile lit up the room, causing Carlisle to laugh.

"He's always followed her lead. We've lucked out tremendously," he hugged his wife with a chuckle.

Indeed they did, they lucked out in every aspect of their lives.

**I'll be writing a little more, perhaps Jade's recovery journey. **

**I can't find the words to explain how much every single one of you guys means to me! I appreciate the support I have gotten through this journey, and I'll be forever grateful.**


	23. Cloudbusting

**Disclaimer: Stephenie Meyer is the rightful owner of Twilight. **

**~.~.~**

The recovery journey was quite a daunting one for Jade. There was an abundance of days where she was urged to move on her own. Out of all those experiences, she wept for her dad and mom to hold her hand. However, most of the time, Carlisle was in surgery when she was to do her daily movements. The visits were neverending, much to Jade's dismay. The visits with her sisters were one of her favorites; Rosalie would do her hair in elaborate hairstyles; Alice would polish up her toes and fingers. All the while, Ava would create intricate portraits on her casts. Emmett was her comic relief, the one who made her sides hurt through laughter and not because of her injuries.

Esme was there every conceivable moment that seemed reasonable to humans. Esme was there with the police interrogations regarding the accident, when they would change the bandages and everything in between. However, Jade's favorite part of Esme's visits was the fact that she would always bring a buffet of food. Most of the time, she was able to have breakfast and lunch with her parents.

This particular afternoon, Jade was catching up on her school work, acknowledging that it was the final weeks of school. While she was highlighting relevant passages that she needed for her last essay, William walked in. Jade grinned up at her brother, discerning that he still had his backpack on his back, a brown bag and a milkshake on either hand. "Hey, twin!" William chuckled, setting the bag and cup on top of her school work.

With a roll of her eyes, she opened up the bag and her mouth salivated at the food she found in the bag. "Oh! I love mama's cooking, but I've wanted a fat, juicy, cheeseburger for days! Fries! Oh, I love you," Jade laughed out, uncovering the sandwich in front of her, before shoving it in her mouth.

"You repulse me," William tantalized his sister, fixing the hat that he was wearing, taking a seat on the chair that was placed next to Jade. "So you're out of here in two days, huh?" he questioned, taking a couple fries while Jade killed the burger, much to his amazement.

With a nod, Jade took a sip from her milkshake and looked at her brother straight in the eye. "I'll be beginning physical therapy though, for my knee," she scoffed, finishing the final piece of her burger that she nearly inhaled. "So, um," she cleared her throat, sitting up straighter, "I've changed my mind," she whispered loud enough for William to hear, keeping an eye out for anyone.

William bowed his head, bending back to shut the door with his left arm. "I've overheard mom and dad discussing it the next day you told them," his voice was somber, trying to decipher the look in her eyes.

Conceivably it was the morphine talking or even the near-death encounter when she told her parents. Breaking the gaze, she held with her brother, a habit that they've obtained over the years when conversations got severe, she stared out the window. Jade has been able to recognize most of the attendings, residents, interns, nurses, and even patients since she got there. Just as she was about to turn back to look at her brother, she saw her father pass by with two residents trailing behind him. Carlisle has been a doting father to Jade, appearing every opportunity imaginable. Jade wiggled her fingers at her father, a gesture that he was more than delighted to return.

"I can't envision a world where I'd be the only one to grow old and sequentially die off, leaving mama and daddy destroyed. Or even the simple fact that I have to keep you guys hidden for God knows how long?" Jade went off, sloshing the milkshake around.

"I was decided to not change with you, Adeline Jade."

Jade shook her head, "No, you know that you've always wanted to be like them."

**~.~.~**

"Dad, it's disgustingly hot back here," Jade keened in her spot in the back seat, her left leg resting on the bench. Carlisle looked back, his smile still on his face since the moment they've discharged his daughter.

"Anything for my Jadie Bug," he chuckled, turning on the air conditioner to full blast, making sure she was comfortable. The majority of the ride back to the house was tranquil and serene. Some small talk from here and there.

When Carlisle pulled into the driveway, Jade sighed in relief at the sight of her home. Never did she think that she would miss home as much as she did now. The twins have gotten so accustomed to moving every few years or so; never really had the luxury to miss a home they didn't live in for long. The beds of roses in the front lawn welcomed her, being as vibrant as ever. All the cars were there, except for hers. Jade's heart sank at the realization; the recollection of that night's event flooding her memory.

"Don't worry, you'll get a new one once you're better," Carlisle lamented, offering his daughter a tight smile. He exited the car, grabbing the duffel bag and the crutches from the trunk. In one swift movement, he was opening Jade's side of the door and helped her out and into his arms.

Jade huffed, letting her father carry her with ease. "Dad, I know how to walk on my own. Pretty sure that is why Amelia proposed the crutches," she scoffed, squirming in Carlisle's arms, attempting to free herself.

"Let me reminisce when you were a little baby and enjoyed being in my arms," Carlisle teased, moving her onto his other arm so he could open the door.

Jade sighed and laid her head on his chest. Every single step he took was smooth and graceful. The sweet smell of fresh chocolate chip cookies made her mouth water, anticipating the moment she could gorge those baked goods. The hospital was so quiet, so when she returned home, the daily commotion consoled her. "Put me down, por favor," Jade nearly but growled, anxious to go lay in her bed.

"Fine, darling. Just letting you know your mother is coming in two seconds," Carlisle chuckled, setting his daughter down on her own two feet.

Before Jade could utter a word, she felt her mothers cold hard body engulf her in an embrace, swaying them back and forth. "My beautiful AJ Bear, you're home!" Esme cried out, kissing every inch of her face and hair. Jade hugged her back with her free arm that wasn't in the half cast.

"I'm home."

Not a beat later, her twin brother came rushing down the stairs, his toothbrush still in his mouth and water still trickling from his hair. "Adeline Jade, you're here." He grumbled through the toothbrush in his mouth.

"I am. Now, get off of me!" Jade snorted, trying her best to push him off. "You got me wet, you jerk," Jade rolled her eyes, removing herself from the situation and towards the kitchen. The trip to the kitchen took a lot longer than it should've. Times like this was when she wished she was eternal, this would've never occurred in the first place.

In front of her sat a buffet of diverse meal possibilities; sufficient to feed a kindergarten class. There was chicken parm, a Caesars Salad, a delectable looking glass dish that held enchiladas, Spanish rice, and copious amounts of pastries. Jade's mouth watered at the delicious sight in front of her. "Mama, you went out," Jade gushed mid-bite from a piece of warm garlic bread that was spread out nicely on a plate. Everything seemed as if it could belong in a cooking catalog.

Esme chuckled as she walked by, reaching in the cupboard, picking out a couple of silverware for her daughter. "Well, my daughter was coming home from the hospital, I had to welcome her home," she explained proudly, shoveling a little bit of everything and handing it over to Jade.

Digging right into her salad, before she could savor her first mouthful, the fork was knocked out of her hands as she felt cold and a muscular body lift her up in the air. "Oh, Addy! You're home!" her older brother, Emmett, bellowed in her ear as he spun her around.

With a roll of her eyes, she grinned and held her brother back. "I feel like I've lived this three times," she retorted, smoothing down her hair as he sat her back down.

"My apologies, however, the house was so dead without you here, Della."

"Hey!" William cried from the other family room, as he looked up from his textbook; brows furrowed in faux rage.

Jade smirked and plucked up her fork, digging into her enchiladas, gnawing on her lip when she observed the way the steam rose once she tore a piece apart. "Well, I'm the life of the party."

**~.~.~**

It was a sunny afternoon, the sun keeping the Cullen's captive in their residence, save for the twins. For the past weeks, Jade was enduring infinite physical therapy sessions to help her recuperate faster from her knee surgery. Jade fastened her knee brace as she looked up from her seat in her brother's car; the breeze from outside gently making its way into the vehicle. William had driven her to her appointment, treating her to ice-cream after, in hopes to brighten his sister's spirits.

Jade reached over to open the driver door, seeing as William's hands were occupied with their frozen treats, a smirk on her face. "Thank you, little brother, I appreciate it."

William scoffed, fastening his seatbelt across his body before driving off to a nearby park. "You're only older than I am by two minutes, but you are welcome."

The rest of the car ride was silent, yet comfortable as they both listened to the music playing in the background. The waffle cone in Jade's hands gradually growing soggy as she occasionally licked the drops of ice-cream. "William?"

"Yeah?" He turned to face his sister, pulling into a shaded parking spot, rolling down the windows as Jade was fixated on watching school-age children running after a dog.

"It feels nice not being coddled every single second," Jade muttered.

William pursed his lips and nodded, recalling every recollection he could of his parents and every family member purveying to her every need, even when she didn't ask for it. "Can't relate, but yeah I get you," he murmured, spooning his ice-cream from the cup.

"Why are you acting like this?"

William shrugged, looking away from his twin. Little did she know, there was a pang of jealousy every time Esme or Carlisle would hover over Jade or when their siblings would be hot on his sister's heels. There were moments throughout the day where he assumed that he was being disregarded or pushed to the side; not being their parents first priority for the time being. "You just need more attention, that's all," he stated rather dryly.

"I didn't ask for this Nicolas!" His twin spat, her face feeling hot and a lump developing in the back of her throat. "I did not ask to be struck by a truck and in turn, almost bleed out!" she choked out, tears pricking her eyes.

William banged his hands on the dashboard, shocking Jade. "I know you didn't, Adeline Jade! Just that their princess is hurting right now."

"Don't you dare! You know mom and dad shield your ass at all times! Mama babies your ass constantly, and you know it! So now, you're just pissed at the concept that I'm getting added attention from mama than typical!" Jade cried out, her voice cracking with every word she spoke, those impending tears now marking her face.

"Whatever," he was fuming at this point.

The drive was awkward, and the intensity in the air was thick enough to be cut through with a knife. Once the twins got to the house, William immediately left and ran towards the house, leaving Jade there by herself. "You asshole!" she screeched out, thrusting her legs outside the warm air, her hair tumbling in her face.

"Who's an asshole?" Ava asked as she strolled up to the driveway. Jade admired her older sisters eloquence; Ava was like another mother figure in their short lives.

Jade huffed, holding her hand out begrudgingly, for her sister's help. "Your brother, he thinks I'm taking his spotlight from mama," she groaned, as she squeezed her eyes tight when Ava helped her to her feet.

Ava snickered, supporting her little sister take treads up the stairs to the front door, the cold air as she pushed the door open, hitting them in the face. "Well, you kind of are, AJ Bug. However, you two did steal my thunder when I first came to live with the family," Ava revealed, arranging Jade down on the couch, propping her leg up with a pillow.

"You're the one that offered to help mama," Jade rolled her eyes, as Ava walked into the kitchen and emerged with a tray of chocolate-covered strawberries over to her sister.

"Indeed, I did; however, that doesn't imply that I wish I would've had mama to myself for a little while longer," Ava offered her the tray, which Jade quickly took, "he'll get over it."

"I hope so."

**~.~.~**

Weeks have gone by, and Jade has been recovering remarkably. They still haven't addressed the elephant in the room; the topic of Jade wanting to be changed. It seemed as if whenever Esme or Carlisle tried to talk to her about it, she would deflect the conversation to something else; something that wasn't her. Today was no different.

Jade and William were doing their homework on the dining room table, both of their homework sprawled across the mahogany, while Jade munched on a grilled cheese sandwich. "Are you on the history homework yet?" she mumbled, tearing the crust apart from the lunch.

William passed the piece of paper towards her as he continued to work on his math homework. He always left his math and science homework for last, he preferred to do his most challenging work for last, or at least until Carlisle caved in and helped him through every single step.

"Hey, baby bugs!" Esme greeted when she entered the kitchen, grocery bags in her arms, with Carlisle following her trail.

"Hi, mama," Jade greeted, hiding the sheet of paper behind her own.

"I saw that."

"I know. Hi daddy," Jade beamed up at her father, while William also mumbled a hello.

Carlisle kissed his daughter on the head and ruffled William's hair as he passed by. "When you guys are finished, we want to talk to you two," he informed them, doing his fair share of putting away the groceries.

William and Jade shared a look from across the kitchen table, holding the stare for a while. Jade tried to put it off for as long as she could; today was the day.

The hour has gone by, no matter how many times she erased and rewrote her answers or William despite not being the best at math, he somehow understood today's topic without a problem. Without a word, William pushed back from the table and made his way towards his dad's study; Jade hesitating before she followed behind him.

Both of them stood there, staring at the door as if it was going to open to another dimension. William brought up a shaky hand and wrapped it around the knob and pushed it open. Everything in the room was exactly the same, as it always was. The way everything was positioned seemed so compelling. It somehow seemed more demeaning more so now than ever.

Esme and Carlisle were already in the room, Esme sitting down on the couch with a blanket wrapped around her body as she read a book with her heels placed entirely on the floor. Carlisle was sitting on the floor next to Esme, as he massaged one of her feet. "Come in," he mumbled without looking up.

Both of the twins walked in, almost as if they were walking on eggshells. Esme patted the spot next to her, opening her arms open with the blanket over her arms. William quickly scampered over to her side, taking in a deep breath of his mothers scent. Jade sat in front of the fireplace; memories rushing back to her.

"Jade," Carlisle started, clearing his throat and offering his hand towards his daughter.

Jade laid her small hand in both of his oversized hands, her hand floating in his own. "Look, I know I want to be changed, however, not now," she tried to defend herself. She wasn't entirely sure what she was scared of, but Jade knew that she was frightened.

"We understand AJ Bear, entirely. However, your father and I just wanted to let you know how serious this topic is," Esme explained, offering her daughter the smile that she knew made Jade and William automatically relax. Both of their heartbeats slowed down; William's head resting on Esme's shoulder, his brilliant blue eyes staring intently at his twin sister. This reminded him of the night of the accident.

Jade nodded and let out a long sigh, outstretching her knee, seldom wearing her brace; today was no different. "Okay," she nodded, giving her dad a docile smile when he squeezed her hand ever so slightly.

Carlisle cleared his throat and looked at his daughter straight in the eye. "Darling, we will always respect your requests. If you ever wished to backtrack your decision, we will support you all the way," he started off, his voice elevated and serene. "However, we need you to know that if you do wish to become like us, this is perpetual."

"There would be a lot of human things that you would have to give up, darling. My heart yearns to keep you with me forever; however, another part of me wants you to experience everything that none of us get to do," Esme went on, rubbing Williams shoulder with her hand. This was directed to both of her children, her beautiful, miracle babies.

William and Jade shared a meaningful look, they had an idea that this was what their parents were feeling. William nodded, only more so anxious to become like them. Jade wasn't so sure; however, she couldn't go on with her family. "Mama, Daddy, I'm aware of the consequences."

"But you don't know darling, you love food," Carlisle chuckled, pulling his daughter into a hug, resting his chin on her head. An act that reminded him of when his daughter was five. "You and William love to go to the lake with your friends, do all these human things with your friends. We couldn't be any happier, we just don't want you two to resent us in any way."

"Never," William whispered, his voice was rough. He removed himself from his mothers grasp to look at Carlisle in the eye. "I would never hold any sort of resentment towards you guys; you are my parents. I thank God every day for allowing me to have such amazing parents, papa. This family is everything to me, and I would want to be in it for as long as I can."

"Possibly the smartest thing that has ever come out of your mouth," Jade chortled, rolling her eyes. "I agree, though. I can't go on in this world alone without you both or the rest of the family. Our family is unconventional yet perfect in every way. All I ask, give me time to fall in love and fall out of love, get drunk-"

"Adeline Jade," Carlisle stated in a stern voice, tickling her side.

"When I am of legal age, of course. If along the way I do choose to stay human, it's not because I refuse to be apart of this family, it's because I've found joy," Jade spoke, her voice barely audible, yet Carlisle and Esme nevertheless clung onto every word she spoke.

There was another pair of cold arms around her now, leaning back to the hold. "My little AJ Bear," Esme cooed, breathing in her scent of strawberry milk. "My beautiful babies, forever my babies."

Carlisle and Esme sat there embracing their children, exchanging looks every so often. Their heartbeats had become steady, indicating they were falling asleep.

"I want them here forever," Esme whispered, caressing both Jade's and Williams faces with her fingers.

Carlisle leaned over to kiss his wife on the lips, "As do I, my love. I can't fathom a life without them. They've taught me a different meaning of love."

**Thank you so much for all the love and support I have gotten recently; it's made me so happy!**

**Sorry for the late update, my body has been in so much pain recently. There was no comfortable position for me to write, however I powered through!**

**Let me know what you guys want to see! **


	24. Pomp & Sunburns

**Disclaimer: Stephenie Meyer is the rightful owner of Twilight. **

**~.~.~**

_**Eighteen Years Old**_

The years have rushed by in the blink of an eye. Carlisle and Esme's children were close to leaving behind high school and starting college soon after that.

_Both twins sat at the dining room table, with a stack of various college applications encompassing them. Berkley, Yale, Harvard, Colombia, Stanford, and a couple more schools in California were selections of theirs. Much to Esme's concern seeing that they wouldn't be able to visit them as frequently as she craved. _

_William dropped his pen on the table, extending and wriggling his fingers as he felt his hand begin to cramp. The bright light ahead of their head was shining down on them; caused him to rub his eyes multiple times until he saw dots. "I hate this," he groaned as he set aside his third application. _

_His twin sister looked up from her complete application, cracking her knuckles as she stared at her stack. "It's going to be worth it," Jade pointed out, tucking the glass straw in her mouth, drinking her second serving of iced coffee. _

_"We'll repeat college and high school a copious amount of times, though," William said as he stood up from his seat to grab a couple a peach from the fruit tray. The window that overlooked the garden in their kitchen showed Carlisle and Esme doing their thing outdoors. Carlisle was reading out loud as Esme was sketching something, her small wrist moving at the speed of light in the eyes of William. _

_The sound of Jade slurping, the last of the liquid took him out of his trance to look over at his sister. " I want to do it right the first time. I want to know I achieved everything because of me, and not because of the inhuman memory." Jade murmured, whirling her straw about the cup, chiming with the ice cubes._

_Just as William was about to open his mouth to say something, his pixie-like sister bounced into the room. Her skirt despite the cold weather outside, was twirling around her body as she skidded to a halt. "Don't bother filling out any more applications! I already know where you will be accepted!" Alice chirped, clapping her hands together. _

_"Don't! Ali, don't you dare! I want to find out like every other kid in my class." William exclaimed, standing in front of his older sister, his eyes as wide as saucers. _

_"And I thought I was the one that wanted to be as normal as I could," Jade laughed, putting her applications to the side and joined her other sisters and niece on the couch. _

"You still want to find out the normal way?" Alice asked as the twins sat in the center of the family room, all of their letters sprawled out in front of them, while the family circled them.

Both William and Jade nodded simultaneously, looking up at their parents. Esme sat on Carlisle's lap on the loveseat, Esme nibbling her lip excitedly as she grinned down at her children. "Go ahead, my loves," she reassured.

"No matter what, we are incredibly proud of you both. You've accomplished so much; with working after school, and managing extracurricular activities, we are proud." Carlisle praised his kids, his smile only broadened when theirs did the same.

The twins shared a look as they both reached for the first envelope; they both applied to the same colleges for different majors. "We should do the Ivy League's first, knock them out of the way," William whispered, reaching for Yale's envelope first.

Jade nodded and sorted through her stack and looked up at her brother for approval to move her finger under the fold to open it. Their hands were shaking as they pulled out the paper that held their future.

"I got in," Jade whispered, her lips quirking up to a smile.

"I got in as well,"

"A miracle," Emmett teased, causing the family to laugh while Rosalie smacked him in the back of his head.

"Keep going, don't stop now!" Esme urged them to keep going, the anticipation building up.

They kept going through the envelopes, gaining confidence with every single one they tore open. Jade got rejected by Colombia and UCLA; however, accepted in all the others. William, on the other hand, got rejected by Harvard, Cornell, and Stanford.

"Do you know where you guys are choosing to attend?" Rosalie asked, leaning in, excited to know the answer. However, she, along with the rest of the family, was nervous that they were going to be parted.

"Standford," Jade blurted out a grin spreading across her face.

"Berkeley," William also stated around the same time that Jade announced.

Jade gave him a side-eye, before exploding out in laughter. "There's no way in getting rid of you, is there? I'm going to be existing with you for an _eternity_, literally."

William put up his hands in defense. "Well, we don't have to see each other," he smirked.

"Does that mean we're moving to Washington?" Emmett and Nessie blurted out, quite excitedly.

"Perhaps."

**~.~.~**

"I need pictures!" Esme cried out as she ran down the staircase at a human speed with her shawl flowing behind her, as her tamed curls bounced with every step she took.

Jade and William turned around with an annoyed look on their faces, as William bounced on his right leg with an urgency. "Mama, we have to be there in thirty minutes," William whined, as he shifted his gown and cap onto his other arm, resisting the urge to run his hands through his hair.

Jade rolled her eyes, flashing her mother a smile and throwing her arm over her brother, barely reaching the top of his head despite the heels. "A couple of pictures won't hurt," Jade murmured, placing herself into position. Her cap and gown in her free hand, showing her mother her straight teeth that took three years to perfect with the help of braces.

Esme wrapped the shawl around her elbows while Carlisle stood next to her, looking at his children rather proudly. "Just one picture and we will head out," Carlisle pleaded, as he looked on to his two children who he had the privilege of watching grow up.

These past three years were hard on all four of them, with a whole year of constant physical therapy for Jade and helping William out with his schoolwork, making sure he went to his tutoring sessions and occasional therapy sessions when he believed he needed it.

In the past three years, the vampire teens had moved in and out of the Cullen household. Rosalie and Emmett had set on an endeavor in France for a year, a honeymoon of sorts; while Ness had gone to travel along with Alice, while Bella and Edward did their own thing. At specific points, the house consisted of only the patriarchs, the twins, and Ava. It was quiet, much too muted compared to what they were used to.

They had come back for the twins big moments, Jade's last band competition, William's final track meet, and their prom. Their siblings wanted nothing more but to be here for every single crucial moment in their human brother and sisters lives. "Ready?"

"Ready," both of them said in unison. They were engulfed into a group hug; they were held there for a while longer. They only had the summer together before they were separated due to them seeking higher education.

The graduation ceremony went smoothly, with both of their children graduating with honors - a miracle for William. If Esme and Carlisle could shed tears, their pale faces would be streaked with a copious number of tears. Without a doubt, they've attended at least a hundred commencement ceremonies, however not one held the emotional pull as this one did. Perhaps it was the fact that their only biological children were graduating high school or maybe it was the realization that they were going to be commencing their endeavors soon.

Jade and William walked out towards the front of the high school building to find all of their family standing there, with triumphant looks on their faces.

"My babies!" Their mothers' soft voice that was filled with emotion and pride made the twins eyes begin to water. The way her arms wrapped around both of them made the rest of the world disappear. Esme has been nothing but encouraging and loving to them. "I'm so proud of you both!" She mumbled in between both of their shoulders.

"I love you, Mama," William whispered, pulling back to kiss his mom's cheek. Over the years, he's grown accustomed to his mother's cold touch, to Carlisle's frozen hand as he ruffled through his hair. Soon, he thought, soon he'd no longer be a victim to his family's cold touch; he'd be as cold as ice as the rest of them.

"Oh, I love you too, baby."

Jade felt those familiar arms wrap around her shoulders; the scent of her father's natural fragrance eased her mind a little. "Daddy," she whispered, wrapping her arms around his neck, letting the tears fall freely from her face. Shedding tears for her and her family.

"I'm so proud of you Jadie Bug," he cooed, running his hand through her hair.

Never did Carlisle think that he'd be so protective over one his children. Of course, he would fight to the death for his family; however, once Jade and William were born, they changed every definition in the book for him. It had something to do with them being half his biologically, possibly. Just like he would go to the ends of this earth for his family, he couldn't conceive the thought of changing his children soon.

**~.~.~**

_One Week Later_

As a graduation gift of sorts, the family set out to Isle Esme - the first time for the twins. Once the twins set foot on the island, they were awestruck, for lack of a better word.

_Carlisle and Esme flew out to the island two days before the rest of their family. In a way, it was their mini two-day vacation before their kids got there; yet they were still stuck sprucing up the place, in anticipation for their human twins. _

_The sun was shining high above them, the sun glistening off of the ocean water as the boats became more visible with each second the past. Esme held onto Carlisle's waist, as he hugged her back, circling his thumb across her shoulder. _

_"Do you think they're going to flip out?" Esme asked as she saw the boats that held their kids come into clear view, near the shore. _

_Carlisle threw back his head in a chuckle, then proceeded to kiss his wife on the top of her head. "They'll be shocked, at the very least," he stated, as he straightened up at the sound of the engines shutting off. _

_"This is mama's island? That dad bought?" William asked as he helped his sister off the boat, while Emmett helped Rosalie off and quickly retrieve the luggage. _

_Behind Jade's dark sunglasses, Esme just knew that her bright brown eyes were as wide as they ever were. "Oh, Adeline Jade, how was your summer? Oh, you know, typical summer on mommy and daddy's private island with my vampire family," she said in a mock valley girl accident. "This is insane!" she exclaimed, giving each of her parents a hug. _

_Esme chuckled and led the twins inside, with Carlisle trailing close behind with the rest of their luggage. "It's quite toned down, Jade," Esme noted as the inside wasn't as flashy as their home back in Ashland. _

_William scoffed and made a beeline towards the kitchen, quickly raiding the fridge and emerging with a can of soda. "Mama, it's amazing how humble you two are."_

_"And in turn, both of you are humble, I hope," Carlisle chimed in, taking the soda away from his son. "They're bad for you."_

_"It won't matter when I'm dead," he muttered, then by the look of his parent's faces, he cleared his throat, "Undead, I mean."_

_"Good boy."_

By the end of the summer, they've hiked different trails to the same mountain top that gave them the best views at sunrise and sundown; they've swum in the ocean countless times. However, when they say their vampire siblings partake in the most extraordinary games of a chicken fight and Marco Polo while they sat by the shore, they felt left out.

At this point, both twins were on the brink of sunburned - altogether discarding Carlisle's constant advice to lather up in sunscreen. There was a time where William had to have his back slathered in aloe vera by one of his siblings while Esme scolded him the whole time.

_"It's not funny!" William groaned as Jade, Alice, Emmett, and Ness chuckled with every wince he let out as Ava gently rubbed in the aloe vera. _

_Esme shook her head as she crossed her legs, leaning back onto Carlisle's hold. "You should've listened to your dad, William," she said, quite dryly. _

_William groaned as he felt his sister's cold finger, press down a little too much. "Mama, I get it," he murmured against the pillow. _

_Jade stood up and smacked his shoulder blade, causing William to sustain in his murmurs. "I hate you."_

It was their last night at the island before they head off to their new schools. There was a big bonfire by the shore and Emmett was off grilling burgers on some fancy grill that Carlisle bought from the mainland. Around the fire, William and Jade sat silently eating their burgers as the family recounted their first Christmas's with the family - their first everything.

Esme and Carlisle were wrapped in a blanket as they watched their twins silently picking at their burgers or chicken, only offering smiles or nods when appropriate. "Darling, do you think they're okay?" Esme whispered in Carlisle's ear, low enough for him to hear.

Carlisle quickly darted his eyes across the way to study his two children. There was something off about them, yet he couldn't quite pinpoint it. "I'm sure they're just nervous," he tried to reassure his wife's doubts while attempting to do the same for himself.

William cleared his throat, setting the plate by his feet, a few specs of sand sneaking their way onto the plate. "So, Jade and I have been talking," he said timidly at first, "and we've concluded that we want to take a leap year or a semester off even. We want to be changed."

"Here," Jade cleared her throat, looking up at her parents, staring at them intently.

Esme felt her mouth drop as she stared back at her two babies. They were preparing themselves to change their children; to bring them to this new life that will keep them to the ends of this earth. However, she didn't think it'd be this soon. "Oh, when was this discussed?" she asked, composing herself, glancing up to see what she could read off of Carlisle's face.

Carlisle cleared his throat, tugging Esme a little closer to him, support of sorts. His hand rubbed on her tummy out of instinct; several beats have passed off only the sound of the waves, and the fire cracking was heard.

"A couple of days ago," Jade responded meekly, wrapping her cardigan closer to her body while William was busy making a s'more.

Esme and Carlisle shared a look, as they noticed the rest of their stared at them intently; this was not the way they were expecting things to go.

**Ah! I know this upload was a little later than usual. However, I did have writers block and I did re-write this chapter a couple of times. It may not be the best, but it's better than what I had before. **

**Anyway, school started again, so, I will try to get these chapters up as soon as I can!**

**Thank you all for sticking with me for so long, I can't say this enough!**


	25. Prête, Ready

**Disclaimer: Stephenie Meyer is the rightful owner of Twilight. **

**There will be time jumps in this chapter.**

* * *

**~.~.~**

No one uttered a word; everyone sat as still as a stone -except for the twins, of course. William attempted to avoid his parent's gaze while Jade was staring intently at both of her parents. He could feel multiple eyes burn holes on his back. His hand was shaking as it was extended to toast his marshmallow over the fire.

"When?" Esme asked softly, her voice barely audible over the waves crashing on the shore.

"A couple of days ago, mama," he whispered, looking up to look at his mom's face. He couldn't decipher the expression on her face, which didn't make him feel any more comfortable.

Esme and Carlisle shared a look; they weren't exactly too sure on Jade, who previously had her heart set on experiencing being human a bit longer. "Adeline Jade?" Carlisle called, hearing his daughters heart rate speed up at the sound of her first name- she knew he was serious.

Jade sat up just a tad straighter, Rosalie reaches over to grab her hand while Ava offered her an encouraging smile. "W-why prolong the inevitable?"

"AJ Bear, the inevitable would be if you were to die," Esme barely choked out, not wanting even to imagine her daughter dying off soon. "What brought this on?"

_It was William and Jade's typical hikes up to the top of the waterfall in the morning to watch the sunrise. As William journeyed ahead of Jade, seeing as she was a little slower due to her knee injury from that car collision three years prior, Jade sat down to fix her knee brace. _

_"Nicolas William Cullen, I swear if you don't slow down, I'm going to push you off the edge," Jade grumbled, slightly out of breath, reaching for her water bottle and granola bar that were in her backpack. _

_William turned around and jeered, sitting down in front of his sister on one of the fallen tree trunks. "Think about it, Jade. If we were vampires, we would've been at the top half an hour ago," he said in amusement, elaborately speaking with his hands. _

_Jade cocked an eyebrow with a smirk on her face as she sipped from her water bottle. "We will be, soon, okay?" she said low, with a sigh. They sat there silently, as the forest came alive. The music of birds chirping and squirrels or rabbits scurrying across. _

_"Why can't we change now? Addy, I'm waiting on you..." he trailed off, rubbing the back of his neck. _

_A sigh fled her lips as she stood up and began their uphill journey towards the top. The rest of the way they were silent once Jade put her earbuds in, drowning out the noises of the outdoors, concentrating on the landscape before her. All William could do was think about how life would have been so offbeat if they were immortal by now. _

_As they reached the top, the sun commenced rising across from the horizon, causing Jade to smile and slip off her shoes and socks to wet them by the brook, facing the sky. The waterfall was thundering ahead, William standing as close to the edge as he could to get the perfect view in his opinion. "Iam?" Jade called out his childhood nickname, reserved only when she was serious. _

_He turned around and saw his sister slowly make her way towards him, bracing herself on his shoulder as she stood next to him. "I don't think there's anything better than this. I could very much die anytime while I'm human. Maybe I'm trying to hold on to that one part of me that makes me feel a little normal," she went on, sitting down on the edge of a rock. _

_William smiled and sat down next to his sister and wrapped an arm around her shoulders as she laid her head on his shoulder. "Hermanita, we were never regular. The only common thing about us was that we are humans."_

_"I know, Iam, but I thought maybe holding back or not even being changed at all was the best option," she tried to reason with her brother, and it seemed like with herself as well. _

_He shook his head as they both stared at the sunrise; the ocean was glistening beneath them. "Wouldn't it be nice to be changed out here?" William blurted out. Jade turned to look at her brother and smiled. Admittedly, it would be the perfect setting to do the deed there. _

_"What if we do it now? We can take a year off, get adjusted, and go back to school a year later. It'd be ideal," she muttered, grasping her backpack and stood up with the help of her brother and they nearly but ran down the whole way down. _

_"We'll talk to mama and papa about it!" William yelled as he ran ahead of Jade. _

_"You asshole," she called after him. He knew that she couldn't run all that well just yet. _

_"If we were vampires, you wouldn't have a problem!"_

"Why don't we discuss this inside?" Carlisle asked, considering this topic something between just the four of them.

The twins stood up, slowly making their way inside while Carlisle and Esme stayed behind with the rest of the family.

"Mama, they're not serious, are they?" Ava croaked out. Ness wrapped her blanket around her aunt, despite the lack of the need.

Esme shrugged her shoulders, breathing in her husband's scent that was mixed with the sea air. "I'm not sure, sweetie."

"Alice?" Carlisle asked his psychic daughter, with hopeful eyes.

It was the first time in a while since he's ever felt this lost. Carlisle was doubtful of what to do; change his children now on an impulse settlement or wait until he feels they are ready? His head was whirling on the probabilities of turning his twins into one of them. Would biting them be an option or could he infuse his venom into their bloodstreams? Carlisle felt Esme's hand lay over his, mimicking his thumb strokes on the back of his hand. It was a soothing feeling; an action that Esme learned to do when he was feeling overwhelmed.

Alice sat there for a moment longer than she expected, while everyone was examining Alice's face for any reaction, Ava was fixated on Edwards facial expressions. His face was utterly stoic; there was no sign of any response. Clenching her fists and gnawing on her lips, she stood up and paced around. "I only see William as one of us," Alice broke the silence, her eyes full of melancholy; aware that they wanted to hear something else.

"Only?" Bella asked, more of a question to Edward, as Edward was staring intently at Alice, and vice versa.

"I-it's not certain," Alice paused, her voice quiet and low, "I see Jade happy with a male, but I'm not sure if she's one of us," Alice proceeded, her eyes far away and dark.

"At least our baby will be happy," Esme whispered, fiddling with the edge of the blanket, stroking the fabric between her fingers a little too firm for her liking.

"Pops, I say you let them ride out the high of being here," Emmett admitted, holding Rosalie closer to him, as he gave his father a reassuring smile. "Hell, if I were human and I was on this island, I would too, want to be changed tonight," even in the most severe moments, Emmett knew how to make light of any situation.

**~.~.~**

Inside, the twins sat around the living room; the lighting was dim while they watched cartoons from when they were children. William was mindlessly scrolling through his phone while he drank a can of soda, utterly oblivious to how long their parents were taking outside. Out of the corner of his eye, he watched his sister as she slowly ate strawberries with condensed milk -a snack that she has come to love after she went over to her friend Jasmin's house.

"I'm getting changed here, Jade. No matter what," William blurted out, nudging her thigh with the end of his foot.

Jade just turned to gaze at him, giving him a side-eye, that if looks could kill, he'd be dead. "I thought this was supposed to be a team," she spat out, as she stabbed another strawberry with her fork, furiously shoving it in her mouth.

"I can't be waiting for you, forever, Adeline Jade!" William's voice rose with every word he spat, clenching his fists.

Jade whirled around, her face red, and her eyes were watering with tears. "Then, fucking, don't! I didn't ask you to wait for me!" she groaned out, blinking back the tears that were attempting to fall out. "You could've been a vampire by now, so don't blame me, you asshole!"

William and Jade stared each other down, both of them seething with anger. "Don't look at me!" William growled out, shoving his sister's forehead with his fingers, just as their parents walked in.

"Then I won't look at you! But don't shove me!" she yelled out, pushing him back once she regained her balance.

"What is going on here?" Esme called out, the sight before her shocking her. Of course, they've gotten in arguments before, but from what Esme has seen, it was never this intense.

Carlisle was in a state of bewilderment as he saw the way they were looking at each other, with a state of resentment. "Dad, William is blaming me for not letting him change sooner!"

"Everything has to go her way!" William tried to defend himself.

"Sit down, both of you," Carlisle rose his voice, his eyes closed. He hardly had to raise his voice at his children, but when it was, it was within reason. Esme held his hand, soothing him slightly. "Now, apologize; both of you."

"Sorry," they muttered, keeping their distance from each other, looking in the opposite direction.

Esme's eyes flickered between both of them, not sure what brought this on. "Loves, we were planning on turning both of you soon, we didn't expect it to be this soon. You have to understand that this was sprung upon us so suddenly," Esme sighed, keeping her voice level.

Carlisle nodded in agreement with his wife, tightening his hold on Esme's hand. "However, we believe the best option would be for you two to wait until we get off the island and at least live a little while longer," Carlisle breathed out, getting a nod from Jade in response while William gaped at him with his mouth open.

"N-no! I want this now, dad!" He blurted, sitting up straighter, glancing at both of his parents.

"Honey, I rather have both of you changed at the same time. W-with Jade still human, the risks are too much," Esme said softly, reaching over and placed her hand on his knee, giving it a firm squeeze.

William looked at his parents puzzled before looking at Carlisle. "Papa, AJ is going to be away; at college, may I add. Look, by the time AJ comes back for Christmas or even Thanksgiving, I'll be fine!" He put up his hands in defense.

Jade looked over at her parents and nodded in agreement with her brother. "That's true, mama. William has always been ready for this life."

"Mama, Ava was still adjusting when we were born, and she's never hurt us," William pointed out.

Esme nodded and looked back over at Carlisle; they were anticipating him to argue but not like this. "Yes, but remember that when you two were born, you were babies. Your scent wasn't matured, and she was there every step of the way while you two grew up."

Both twins looked over at each other; their gazes relaxed now at this point. Jade nodded before hastily glancing away, as her vision was becoming blurry with tears. "Mama and daddy, let him change," Jade croaked out, still not able to look at her parents. "He's waited so long for this, and I was his only barrier."

"Jadie-" Carlisle started, "if we change him now, everything is going to be different. We won't fly him out until he's ready to be trapped in an enclosed space with other humans," he finished off, attempting to explain it to her in a manner that wasn't so complicated.

"He'd be a murderer," Ava's voice broke the short silence as she walked in, her face serious as it's ever been. "He won't be the William you knew."

"Ava," Esme scolded.

The twins looked over to their sister, astonished by what she had to say. "Mama, it's true. It's normal for us to slip; it is in our genetic code. We can't sugarcoat the truth," Ava said with a shrug as she stood by the doorframe before heading off to her room.

Esme put her face in her hands and took a deep breath in, rubbing her face before looking up at her twins. Cocking her head to the side, she could almost picture their faces when they were younger and didn't have a clue about their existence. "My loves, I rather have you think this over. Go to school, join fraternities and sororities, date, do all this while you still can. The island will still be here."

Carlisle took her hand in his, gingerly pressing his lips to the back of her hand. "We will head home tomorrow morning and get everything ready for you two to start college. William, if by after tomorrow night you still feel the same way, we will change you-"

"Carlisle," Esme intervened.

"Not before we have a serious sit-down and we go through all the risks and responsibilities it comes with, am I understood?" Carlisle spoke low, and his voice stern. He was lucky that his children respected him enough where he didn't have to raise his voice often.

"Yes, papa," William hung his head, before storming towards his room to pack his bags.

Jade sighed and stretched her legs on the sofa as she continued to eat her forgotten strawberries, pushing them around the bowl. "Thank you," Jade whispered.

**~.~.~**

The air was tense throughout the rest of the week, as the twins were getting ready to leave for college, spending as much time with the family as they possibly could. The twins, however, were still hostile with each other; avoiding each other at all costs. It made their bonding even more complicated than it should be.

Jade walked out with her last box of belongings as dawn was breaking, yawning as she placed everything in her trunk. The plan was to each of the twins to drive their cars while they followed their parents. With each of the twins, one of their siblings was to ride with them if one was fatigued. Closing the trunk to her car, she saw William throwing his duffel bag in the backseat with a coffee cup in his hand.

"Iam?" Jade called out, tugging the sweater closer to her body, scuffing the toe of her boot on the gravel as William walked over. "I-I'm sorry, for yelling at you at the island," she whimpered, clearing her throat, fighting back the tears.

William sighed and pulled his sister in a hug, giving her a tight squeeze. "It's okay, AJ; it's okay," he cooed, resting his chin on the top of her head. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to get so mad."

"Aw, they made up!" Emmett's booming voice broke up their hug, followed by his laugh's that echoed through the trees. He came up to them, followed by Ava, who was holding her duffel as she had a bag of pieces of bread and coffee on the other hand.

Ava rolled her eyes and handed the mug to her sister while Emmett tossed his backpack in the trunk of Jade's car. "Emmett, leave them alone. We both owe Rosalie fifty bucks anyway," she grumbled, leaning against the white car.

"You bet on my children making up?" Esme feigned being surprised, not at all surprised by their behavior.

"No..." both Emmett and Ava said slowly and in unison.

"Before we leave, Emmett will ride with Jade and Ava with William," Carlisle started, wrapping a scarf around his neck while holding his medical bag in his hands; a staple he carries with him at all time, always fully stocked. "The plan is to be there in forty hours if we can be at Berkeley before that, that'd be excellent."

"Got it," both twins nodded, before ducking into their cars while the vampires stayed outside.

Carlisle looked at Ava and Emmett before handing them both a leather envelope while Esme placed their bags in their car. "There should be plenty of gas money in there, food money, and emergency money. Please, drive safe. My two children are in there."

"They're technically adults, pops," Emmett shrugged and slid into Jade's car.

"Carlisle, they'll be fine."

"I hope so."

**~.~.~**

They got to Berkeley in thirty hours, both twins letting their siblings drive knowing that they'd never go the speed their parents were driving. It was a different setting to be in California; however, being in Berkeley, it was like being at home. There was something about out it that seemed comforting for William.

William was surprised when Carlisle pulled into a neighboring neighborhood around Berkeley where decent apartment buildings were surrounding the area. "Wow, Carlisle took care of it," Ava commented as she saw the buildings. It looked newly remodeled, yet very minimalistic.

"Papa, what is this?" William asked as they stepped out of the cars, with Carlisle leading the way in and to the back apartment units that were shaded with plenty of trees but was only a minute walk away from the community center that had the pool and several amenities.

Carlisle opened the door to his new unit that showed a wide-open space, empty except for a fridge, a microwave, and a stove. "I will be paying for your rent, as well as Jade's; I'll be covering whatever the scholarships don't cover. All you have to do is make sure this electricity and is operating and food in this fridge. Mama is having furniture shipped in, so don't worry about that." Carlisle explained, handing the keys off to William.

Jade looked around and smiled. "Daddy, this is anything but ordinary. Most students live in dorms, eat ramen noodles every night, and have roommates," Jade explained, taking the key that Carlisle offered her as well.

"You can still have roommates, of course. I have the means to make sure you guys are okay," Carlisle pulled both of them in a hug kissing the top of their heads. "You're my babies."

"Dad is getting sentimental? What? That's mama's job," William teased, hugging Carlisle back, before being playfully shoved back by his father's arm.

Esme chuckled and sat a couple of boxes that she was holding on the floor, followed by Ava and Emmett as they proceeded to unload the car. "We're your parents, and you will forever be our babies, even if you are turned at the age of twenty-one, two years younger than your father."

"Never thought of it that way," William murmured, feeling Esme hug him close to her before Carlisle brought both of them both into a hug. They stood there in their spots, engulfed in each other's arms; soaking each other in.

They shortly left William after they made sure he was settled in, after a tearful goodbye from Jade, and a very hesitant departure from Esme. Soon, the Cullens got to Stanford, and the same process happened with Jade. Her space wasn't much different than William's; it was almost identical.

Jade held onto Esme a while longer, as they stood outside her apartment. "Mama, please answer my calls when I call," Jade croaked out, as she was held tighter.

Esme nodded, choking back a sob, stroking her daughter's hair. "Of course, baby, we won't be too far. We'll be in Oregon by early next month," she whispered, peppering her face in kisses.

Jade nodded and gave both of her siblings a huge, finally reaching Carlisle. "Daddy," she sighed, wrapping her arms around Carlisle's torso, as they swayed ever so slightly.

"You're going to do fantastic, Jadie Bear." He kissed her hair and blinked back fantom tears.

Jade nodded and let him go, wiping away her tears. "I'll be fine," she reassured herself. "Bye," she waved a final goodbye, watching her family leave before she shut the door behind them. Once the door shut, Jade let out a loud sob.

Meanwhile, the drive back to Ashland consisted of Esme sobbing the whole way there, cradled in Carlisle's lap in the back seat. Carlisle himself also let out his sobs, feeling a big hole in his chest; they felt empty of sorts.

Eighteen years with them was nothing compared to a lifetime.

**~.~.~**

_A Month after Graduation_

They're four years in college was certainly a wild ride. William graduated with a double major in biology and chemical biology, with significant help from Rosalie and Carlisle he was able to do it. Within those four years, he was working at a private practice office as a receptionist. Jade, on the other hand, majored in psychology while she worked at a coffee shop. On the weekends, they drive to each other - that's if they didn't have a ton of studying to do. The distance did make the heart grow fonder.

Now that the Cullens were back in Oregon, they frequented their family every chance they could get, and vice versa. There was a moment where William wanted to drop out entirely; however, Carlisle practically called a family intervention for him in attempts to avoid William dropping out.

Jade was dating a young man for the past three years; he's her most significant support system -aside from her family, of course. She has met his family; his family that is mixed with Hispanic and Lebanese culture, something so precious and different. For the last two years of their relationship, they were living together in Jade's apartment.

_Ava and Nessie were sitting on Jade's white couch as they watched her scramble to pick up any of Adams belongings and hide them in her linen closet by the front door. _

_"And where are you keeping Adam?" Ava asked, sniffing in his lingering scent. "You can't just deny the fact that he lives here, his fragrance is pungent; it's everywhere."_

_Jade huffed and plopped down on the couch next to Ava, propping her feet up on a coffee table that she picked up from the thrift store a few months back. "He's staying with his friends for the week," she explained, pinching the bridge of her nose. _

_Nessie walked over to her fridge and took out a can of soda she had in her fridge. "How did you get him out of the house, to begin with?" Nessie asked._

_"I told him that mama would know right when she walked in."_

_"Know what?" Esme asked as she walked in the door with Carlisle hot on her heels. Jade examined Carlisle's face the most. It was stoic, then shock, anger, and resignment._

_"That she has a roommate," Carlisle mumbled, avoiding eye contact with Jade. All while that was happening, Adam walked in with his backpack._

_"Oh, I came to pick up the rest of my stu-" he cut off at the sight of Esme and Carlise; Ava broke out in hysterics, while Nessie ducked out of the room. _

_"Mama, Daddy, this is Adam, my boyfriend." _

William had gone on a trip with his friends to Europe while Jade and Adam had a trip to Greece -a place she's always wanted to visit. The Cullen's were preparing for their arrival back at home, prepping for the significant transformation. Esme prepped a room, making it as pleasant as reasonable, while Carlisle was brainstorming different outcomes.

Esme walked into Carlisle's study with William's blanket when he was younger, his scent lingering faintly on the sheet. "Carlisle?" she asked, walking over to Carlisle's desk where he sat there staring at two syringes with morphine.

"Will it work?" He whispered, holding onto Esme's hand that was resting on his shoulder. "I don't want them to feel much pain," he commented, holding the syringes with his free hand.

"Carlisle, they will feel it regardless, it's a three-day process," her voice was soft, as she gave his shoulder a gentle squeeze.

"I can give them as much morphine as I want, perhaps even Vicodin."

"Carlisle-"

"It won't make much difference if they're being changed. It's so different; they're alive and lucid, whereas everyone else was dying, unaware," he went on with his tangent. If his heart were beating, it would be racing out of his chest.

The car that had the twins pulled up the driveway, the car doors slamming was all he could focus on. Esme held onto the blanket as close to her as possible, as she heard her twin's footsteps rushing upstairs and towards the study.

"Daddy, mama!" Jade cried out as she ran in with her boots, leggings, and an oversized sweater that she stole from Carlisle. Ava informed her that it would be best for her to be comfortable.

William trailed behind her, looking identical to her as well; however, he looked more excited than she was. "Mama, Papa," he greeted, sitting down on one of the chairs that were opposite of Carlisle's.

"How were your trips?" Esme asked, reaching over and kissing each of their heads.

"It was amazing!" William mused, sitting up and immediately pulling out his cellphone and showing his parents the dozens of photographs he took in Italy, Paris, London, and Amsterdam.

They sat there making conversation, talking about their travels, and everything in between. "Dad?" William whispered after a moments silence.

"Yes?" He asked, looking up at him, anticipating his next words.

"We're ready," William nodded, looking over to Jade who gave a firm smile and held onto his hand.

"I'm ready," she reassured, letting out a deep breath. "I've waited long enough; this is it, I've experienced everything I wanted," she smiled at Carlisle and Esme, giving a squeeze to her brother's hand.

"Adeline Jade, are you certain you are ready?" Carlisle asked once more, reaching over and taking his daughter's hand, giving her a tight squeeze.

"I'm ready."

"Nicolas William, are you ready?"

William nodded enthusiastically with a grin on his face, "Ready as I'll ever be."

* * *

**Not the best, but I'm glad I got this out when I did. **

**Hope you guys enjoyed this chapter so far, excited for the next! **


	26. Forever, My Love

**Disclaimer: Stephenie Meyer is the rightful owner of Twilight. **

**~.~.~**

The shades in the room that was set up for the big day were partially shut, only the slightest rays of sun seeping their way in the room. The mattresses were nearby of each other -only an arm's length away from each other. Esme sat in between of both beds, taking turns stroking her children's hair; her fingers disentangling the brunette curls from Jade's hair, while her fingers glided through William's wavy hair. Carlisle had begun the morphine drip on the twins, gave them Vicodin, along with supplying them anesthesia, gradually causing them to become lethargic.

Esme brought the blankets up to their chins, leaving a tender kiss on their foreheads. "I love you, baby bugs," Esme uttered against each of their temples. She wasn't sure what she was going to do throughout their transformation; she'd go crazy, acknowledging that they were going through excruciating pain.

"Love you, mama," Jade and William whispered in unison. Both of them had earbuds in, with their preferred music playing at an effort to ease them.

Jade and William both looked at each other before giving a weak smile, and they reached over to hold each other's hand; one last squeeze before they were turned.

Esme sat back and watched as they repeatedly squeezed each other's hands, feeling a lump form in her throat. Her body wracked in soundless weepings, feeling quite emotional. "Carlisle," she gasped out when she saw Carlisle walk in and calmly shut the door behind him.

He walked over to Esme and took her hands in his, as the only noise present was the sound of the music flowing through the earbuds and the twins patterned breathing, as their eyes fluttered shut. Slowly, their hold on each other's hand was beginning to slip, finger by finger.

He held each of their hands, bowing his head in silent prayer; praying to find the strength to stop, praying that they didn't feel an ounce of pain and discomfort. Carlisle sighed and brought up each of their hands, pressing his lips to the palms of their hands. "I love you two, so very much," Carlisle whispered, letting their hands drop. He felt Esme wrap her arms around his torso, touching her lips to the back of his arm.

"You'll find the strength," Esme said softly, as she looked up at him, noticing the worried look on his face.

Carlisle nodded and turned around to kiss the top of her head, breathing in her fragrance; her twins had hints of her scent that made him feel more at ease. "I can't find it in me to do it right now," he murmured, shutting his eyes.

"Darling, listen to me," she grasped his face in her hands, pressing her forehead against his; they stared into each other's eyes for a moment. "You will find the power to stop; this is what they desired."

"Is it? Maybe we didn't try hard enough to convince to not be like us; they could live a long and healthy life. Of course, they'd outlive us, but we'd know that they were happy," he went on and on, in a nervous tangent, as he gripped onto Esme's hips.

Esme sighed and kissed his nose. "My love, they would have said something. They've had plenty of time to analyze things over, primarily Jade," she mumbled.

With a nod, he caressed her lips momentarily before moving over to William's bedside. He leaned over his body and said one more silent prayer before he kissed his head, running his fingers through his hair. He took hold on his hand, clutching a little too hard -hearing his fingers crackle slightly. Carlisle sighed and pressed his lips against William's wrist, shutting his eyes tight as he sunk his teeth into his flesh.

The warm blood was rushing into his mouth; the blood was flowing down his throat. It was sweet, sickening sweet -it was something he hasn't tasted in a couple of decades. "Carlisle, love," Esme clutched onto his shoulder, pulling him back gently as William's body began to twitch. She sighed in relief when that's all that happened; perhaps he didn't feel the pain.

Carlisle finally let go and gasped, bowing his head and pressing William's hand against his forehead. "I don't know if I can do Jadie," he whispered. Esme and Carlisle stared at each other. "I can't do it, love."

"Yes, you can, Carlisle. I believe in you."

Carlisle nodded and moved over to her bedside and stroked back a strand of hair that fell on her face. He stared at her face before looking back at Esme and advanced with taking her wrist in his hands. "My Jadie Bug," Carlisle whispered, kissing the spot that would fall victim to his bite. He breathed in and sunk his teeth in. This time, Carlisle let the blood pool in his mouth; however, the blood suddenly was too much for him to hold in. He reached for a sheet and spat out the dark red liquid onto the stark white fabric.

Esme was soon by his side, and hugged him, resting her chin on his shoulder. "I'm so proud of you, my love. Now we have to wait," she spoke softly, pressing her lips to the crook of his neck.

Carlisle looked back at his twins; examining the way their bodies twitched, grateful that the morphine and Vicodin did help even a little. He let out a sigh, surrendering to the idea that in three days tops, their children will be one of them. Esme took him by the hand and led him out of the room and accompanied their family downstairs.

"Already?" Rosalie asked, not fretting about looking up from her game of cards that was going on with Emmett and Ava, as their parent's footfalls reverberated throughout the house.

"When I went to go pick up AJ, she was shitfaced," Ava whispered, grabbing a new card from the deck, gazing up through her lashes to meet Rosalie's eyes.

"Yeah, when Emmett and I went for William, he was scarfing down a box of pizza while chugging a bottle of tequila," Rosalie responded, setting down her hand and leaning back on the couch.

Emmett sighed and wrapped his arm around Rosalie, tugging her close to him. "Must be an emotional feeling knowing that you're going to die within the next twenty-four hours, yet still be alive," Emmett pondered, drawing him some stares from Alice, Edward, Bella, and Ness, as they were all addressing the feasible outcomes when the twins woke up.

"They've been around vampires way longer than I was," Bella quipped, her chin rested on her hand as she flipped through the pages from one of Carlisle's medical books. "Maybe they'll have a crazy amount of self-control."

Nessie shrugged and got up to grab some cookies from the cabinet, noticing that most of the food that filled the cupboards were cleared out. Her heart dropped; realization struck her like a truck. "Aunt Alice?" Nessie's voice spoke out against the silence.

Alice whipped her head ahead, to look at her niece, her eyes were full yet empty. "Yes, Ness?" Alice cleared her throat, blinking multiple times as if it to come out of a stupor.

"Do you see anything? Are they going to have a hard time?" Nessie asked, nervously, twiddling with her thumbs.

Alice sighed and closed the book in front of her as she rubbed her face with her hands. "I don't see anything."

Back in the family room, Esme crawled onto Carlisle's lap, wrapping a blanket around them, Carlisle holding Esme close to his body. He stroked her hair affectionately, his mind racing with thoughts. He'd be there the moment they woke up, helping them with every step of the way of their transformation.

"Jade told Adam," Ava interrupted his train of thought; his eyes quickly darted towards Ava, who didn't even want to look him in the eye.

Esme's body stiffened, her fingers clutched onto Carlisle's shirt, her eyes low as a million scenarios ran through her head. "H-how do you know?" Carlisle was able to muster out.

"She was drunk and incoherent; perhaps it isn't true," she tried to reason.

"No," Esme interrupted, "everyone under the influence tells the truth," she whispered, not uncurling her hold from Carlisle's shirt.

They sat there for a while longer, the sun setting behind them and the sun rising ahead of them as they sat there for countless hours, motionless. Edward and Ava had checked up on the twins, their bodies still twitching momentarily as the venom was running through their veins.

"Esme," Rosalie kneeled in front of them, gently shaking her shoulder. "You have to hunt to be at your strongest when they wake up," Rosalie's voice was soft and tender, almost as if she was taking on the role as the parents.

Esme shook her head as she closed her eyes momentarily. "No, I need to be here," she whimpered.

"Alice says they won't wake up for another twelve hours," Ava whispered, kneeling beside Rosalie, her concern matching her sisters.

Carlisle sighed and shifted Esme's weight over to make her face him. "Darling, their right. The twins will be okay while we're gone; we will have to face to newborns," he pressed his lips against her temple, rubbing his hand up and down her arm.

"They're newborns once again, only this time indestructible," Esme managed out, turning her head upwards to gaze into Carlisle's eyes, "I want my babies," she choked out.

"I can help you, mama," Ava murmured, pushing back her hair.

Esme shook her head, pushing herself off of Carlisle's body. She sat on the edge of the couch, pulling her hair into a bun. "I'll go change, and then we can go," Esme sighed, trudging her way towards the stairs.

Ava and Rosalie looked at each other; concern filled their faces. "She's having a hard time," Carlisle let out a breath, extending his legs in front of her, although the scarcity of need to stretch. "A part of her didn't want them to change."

"I can see that now," Ava muttered, an eyebrow cocked up.

**~.~.~**

_Twelve Hours Later_

The rest of the family gathered into the room; all lined up against the long glass wall with the night sky, dawn slowly breaking. Carlisle and Esme were at the foot of their beds, Carlisle hugging his wife tight as they watch their twins bodies gradually stop moving. Their heartbeats were slowly quieting down, coming to a complete stop only a couple minutes later.

Esme drew in a breath, as Carlisle rested a hand over her stomach, where he enjoyed to rest his hands when she was pregnant with their twins. The only sound was Renesmee's beating heart and a phone vibrating. "Alice?" Carlisle croaked out, hoping to get a new update.

"Two minutes," Alice and Edward both said in unison.

Carlisle nodded and rested his chin on Esme's head. All they could do at that point was to wait and stare at the lifeless figures.

"I feel like I got hit by a truck," William cleared his throat, causing his parents to draw in a gasp. William blinked, his vision blurry for a split second before he could see every detail in the roof; he could see every paint stroke and every small hole. He turned to see if Jade had awakened yet; however, it seemed as if she hadn't just yet.

"Oh, my baby boy," Esme choked out, and rushed over to him, engulfing him in a hug. It was an odd feeling, for both William and Esme. He no longer possessed that warm and soft feel to him, and Esme was no longer a stone-cold body to William. They were at the same temperature now, and it was a fantastic feeling.

"This is so weird," William spoke, more aware of his surroundings; his voice sounded a lot more decorative, he could hear the creak a couple of miles behind their house.

"You sound so posh," Jade's voice broke the silence and Esme soon let go of William as she rushed to her side, and caressed her daughter's hair, peppering her hair in kisses.

Jade's eyes shot across the room; it seemed as if the room was in high definition, and she had impeccable eyesight and hearing. "You're not cold anymore, mama," Jade giggled, as she hugged her mom back, relishing in the feeling. Now, she could hug her mother all she wanted without having to put on a jacket or wrap herself in a blanket without getting cold.

Esme chuckled and looked over at Carlisle as he walked over to his twins with a bright smile on his face. "No, my love, I'm not."

"Aren't I supposed to kill the whole town by now?" William questioned as he recognized the fiery sensation in his throat.

Emmett let out a laugh, and both twins winced at how loud the sound was. "Wow, Bella, he's more self-aware than you were," he joked, before being pushed out of the room by Rosalie.

"Welcome once more to the family, babies," Rosalie smiled at them, as she walked out the door.

"We should get you guys something to eat," Carlisle murmured, hugging Jade and swiftly moving towards William.

He looked up at the sky and sent up a silent prayer, thankful that his twins turned out fine. They appeared to respond well to this sudden change. There was one more thing he couldn't help but worry about -it was that nagging thought in the back of his mind that the twins might regret their judgment. Carlisle's heart ached, however, if even for the slightest bit, at the idea that his children were no longer human and they were all grown up.

One thing for sure was that they loved their children. Esme peered over Jade's head to look over at Carlisle. They gazed into each other's eyes; they're eyes telling so much -full of love and relief. Of course, a part of Esme mourned for her babies mortality, yet she was glad that there was nothing that could separate her from her children at this point.

They had all of forever with them, from this point on.

**I planned on this being the last chapter, however, let me know if you'd like to see a section of the twins adjusting and perhaps a 'what if' situation where the twins chose to stay human. I'm aware this chapter might be a bit of a disappointment, so next chapter everything will be tied up neatly with a bow. **

**I want to thank every single one of you for supporting me through this journey and trust me; it was a long one. **

**I will forever be grateful, and I hope you stick around for my future endeavors to write more Carlisle/Esme fanfics. **

**Love you all!**


	27. Hold On

**Disclaimer: Stephenie Meyer is the rightful owner of Twilight. **

**~.~.~**

"You've watched us plenty of times," Carlisle whispered, standing behind the twins while they were hunched down, eager to pounce on the heard of deer that was up ahead in the clearing. Esme picked at her nails while she watched her twins about prepared to spring into action.

William was the first to go ahead and lurch himself towards a deers neck; Jade just observed her brother suck the deer dry. Her mouth was open in a small 'o,' her finger twitching when she got a sniff from the blood. It wasn't anything extraordinary, but she needed sustenance. "Go on, AJ Bear, you can do it," Esme whispered, stroking her hair affectionately.

Jade swallowed back a pool of venom in her mouth, to alleviate the burning sensation in her throat. Jade took in a deep breath and nodded before taking a shaky step forward, while William was on his second deer. There was a lone deer on the other end of the clearing calling her name.

Launching forward, she attacked the deer and let all the blood ooze into her mouth. While she was drinking the blood, her eyes welled up with tears that she knew would never escape from her eyes.

The hunt was soon over, the twins walking up ahead from their parents; still not fully aware of their capabilities of walking fast. "When can we reintegrate to society?" William asked as they neared the house, amazed at the quality of sound that was emanating from inside the house.

"Yeah, dad, when can we? I mean I need to see Adam," Jade murmured, walking up the driveway, turning to look over at her parents who were walking hand in hand, Esme cuddled to Carlisle's side.

"Why don't we go to my study and we can talk there?" Carlisle suggested, following his twins inside the house and leading them towards his office.

"First, I need to know how was it?"

"How was what?" William asked from the window, as he gazed out, noticing every intricate little detail in the trees and bushes that surrounded the house. It amazed him, how every home they've ever lived in was so similar yet so different.

Esme sat on the loveseat by the fireplace; she pulled out a sketch pad some pencils, and an eraser that was in a basket placed next to the seat. "Your father drugged you guys up," she sighed, flipping through her book.

"Are you asking about the transformation?" Jade asked, examining one of Carlisle's paintings in his room. It was the one with the Volturi, considering their detail of the eyes; she never discerned the color of the crimson eyes before.

Carlisle smiled with a nod and leaned back on his desk. "How was the pain level?"

William shrugged and sat down on the couch, setting a throw pillow on his lap. "For me, it felt like my whole body was asleep, like how a leg falls asleep when you sit on it too long," he tried to explain to his parents.

"What about for you, Jade?" Carlisle asked, standing next to his daughter, as she still examined the oil painting in front of her.

"Um, I didn't feel much, honestly. I just saw my whole life flash before my eyes, just painfully slow," she murmured, running her finger across the painting. "I relived that day," she sighed and turned away to sit by Esme's lap.

"What about burning?"

"It just felt like a hot day," William sighed.

"Yeah," Jade agreed, "me too, daddy."

Carlisle sighed in relief and walked over to Esme, standing behind her and massaging her shoulders. "So there was no pain whatsoever?"

"No," the twins both said in unison.

"Carlisle, leave them alone," Esme giggled, looking up her eyes wide as she stared lovingly at her husband.

"Well, they did this willingly," Carlisle choked out, "some of you were on the brink of death and still felt everything."

"Dad," William sighed, starting towards the door, "we didn't feel anything, okay? We're fine; everything is fine." He departed the room with that and joined his brothers downstairs. Esme could only imagine the amount of anarchy that was to be done from here on out, now that her William was a vampire.

"Daddy?" Jade peeped out. Jade stopped calling him 'daddy' within the first few months of college, reserving it only when she was trying to butter him up or ask for a favor; it got to him every time.

"Yes, Jadie?"

Taking in a deep breath, she looked up at her mother first before looking back at Carlisle. Her striking crimson red eyes, staring back at Carlisle's vibrant golden eyes. "When can I see Adam?"

"Adeline Jade, you can't," he whispered.

"Carlisle."

"Adeline Jade, you are aware that with him knowing, there is a higher chance of the Volturi finding out about you and your brother. Not only will the Volturi find out, but if things end badly, the whole family will be in turmoil," Carlisle scolded, wincing at the sight of Jade cringing back when he used her first name; he only used that when he was serious with her or she was in trouble.

"But dad, he knows not to tell anyone," Jade tried to reason with him.

Carlisle rubbed his hand across his face and sighed. "He will always be at the step of death's door if he's with you.

"Carlisle!" Esme exclaimed, reaching out to her daughter and pulled her back into her hold. "Love, you will understand if he's the one when their blood sings to you, you'll know the moment you see him once again. For right now, get your bloodlust under control, okay baby?" Esme cooed, stroking her daughter's hair, her head leaning on Esme's lap.

"Okay, I need to shower if you'll excuse me," Jade whispered, taking each step gingerly at a time.

"Carlisle, you can't just talk to her like that," Esme scolded him, shutting her notebook and tossing it in the basket. "Their new this world; they're still your children."

Carlisle sighed and hung his head in repentance. "I know, darling. It's just that our secret is the most crucial thing."

"They know that; she told the person she cherishes most on the planet. Now, come and cuddle with me," Esme pouted, putting her arms out like a baby would with their parent. Carlisle chortled and bowed down to embrace his wife. He lifted her, so she was now sitting on his lap. Esme rested her head in the crook of Carlisle's neck, taking in a deep breath of her husband.

"They're going to be a handful, aren't they?"

"Indeed they are, love."

**~.~.~**

"It's boring being awake a whole twenty-four hours," William groaned his second week in this life. He was adapting well, considering the circumstances of only going into town very briefly two days prior. He was doing remarkably well, that was until he passed by a bar that had erupted in an unmerciful fight just minutes before.

Jade rolled her eyes, hugging her knees to her chest, staring at her phone. For the past two weeks, Adam would message her, asking if she was okay; however, she resisted the urge to answer his messages. It pained her not to be able to be near him, although she knew that it was for his safety. "I don't think I have any powers," Jade grumbled, staring up at the ceiling, her head next to her brothers.

"You've been feeling gloomy this whole time."

"How do you know?"

"You're giving off an aura," William shrugged as if it was the most natural thing for him to say.

Jade gave him a skeptical look and shrugged it off at that point. "I need to see Adam."

**~.~.~**

It went on like this for a few months; William kept noticing the different emotions and auras that people were giving off. Not only was it something he saw, but he felt everything as well. Jade, on the other hand, was roaming around the property aimlessly; spending most of her time by the creek behind their house. It seemed as if everything was working out in favor of William and not for her. It was understandable though, considering how much he's yearned for this. Perhaps, this wasn't in her cards.

The family resumed, as usual, they had their typical game night on Fridays. Today was a particular Friday that changed the course of the twin's lives.

Jade and William were running through the forest on their way back home; they've gone hunting before they joined the family at a game of Uno. They stopped dead in their tracks when they smelt the scent of old blood mixing with fresh blood. "We need to go," Jade whispered, tugging on her brother's arm.

William stood his ground, stalking towards the scent, dragging Jade along as if he was a dog on a leash, and Jade was his owner. "William, no!" She cried out, attempting to pull him back. At this point, the scent of the blood wasn't bothering her; it was the possibility of seeing her brother suck a human dry is what made her fear his animal-like behavior.

For the longest time, Jade was expecting her heart to jump out of her chest, but it wasn't, and that's when she was brought back to reality - her new reality. "We have to do something," William all but growled when he saw the sight of a girl around their age bleeding profusely from the head. William looked up to see that she had fallen while she was hiking.

"Nicolas," she snarled, yanking on his arm once more without much avail.

William pulled his arm free from his sisters hold and ran towards the girls lifeless body. Something about her called him; it fascinated him in a way. When he reached her body, he could hear a weak heartbeat along with her whimpering. "I have to save her," he mumbled, stroking back her long dark hair. By doing so, his hand was now covered in the crimson red blood. The smell of the blood made his mouth pool in venom.

"Nicolas William Cullen!" Jade hissed, although knowing well enough not to get in the way of his bloodlust. Before she could utter another word, William was already biting down on the girl's wrist.

Not a beat had passed when the girl began to wail a blood-curdling painful scream. William cringed as the cry reverberated through the forest; like a cliche movie, bunnies were running from their hiding spot, birds flying from their nest. William's eyes rolled to the back of his head as the blood began to trickle down his throat -it was a lot more filling than his weekly meal of dear. It reminded him of the times when he would eat salads low-carb meals throughout the weak, and when he did have a juicy steak, its was a lot more satisfying. However, he was aware that all of this was much different than when he was human.

He rode the euphoria of the sweet honey-like blood streaming down his throat, the world around him becoming hazy. "Iam!" his sister's voice sounded far away, echoey and hazy.

**~.~.~**

Esme and Carlisle were outside in the garden, gardening together as usual. Carlisle had begun to work night shifts once more - going back to the way things were when the twins were still human and needed him. Whenever he was the chance to help Esme out in the garden, he will, even if it's watering the plants -much like today.

Esme was pulling out the weeds while Carlisle trimmed the rose bushes. Carlisle clipped away to his heart's content while Esme hummed tunelessly, a smile gracing her lips. The sun was shying away behind the clouds, as it prepared to retire for the day and to let the moon grace the sky with its presence.

"Mama!" Jade's cry pierced the air as she zoomed into the garden, her eyes wide in shock.

Esme quickly dropped whatever was in her hands, her large brim hat jerking off her head as she whirled around in a hurry. Carlisle dropped the hose as well, spraying the air as it flew before it settled to a spot on the ground. "Jadie?" Esme breathed out, as Jade stopped at a halt at their feet.

"William found a body a-and he b-bit her," Jade stammered, not knowing how exactly to word everything she was trying to say.

"Wait, hold on baby," Carlisle grabbed his daughter by the shoulders, at an attempt to console his distressed daughter.

Before Jade could speak another word, Emmett crashed into his youngest sister with a grin plastered across his face. "Adam is here!" Emmett boomed out, giddy like a child awaiting an estranged relative their excited to see.

Jade froze in her spot, unable to process the information that was given to her. Her eyes flickered towards her parents, worried about the current situation.

As if to make the situation worse, William came stumbling through the trees, carrying the girl who's body was withering in pain in his arms. Carlisle and Esme collectively gasped; the sight of their sons face filled with blood shocked them. "Help," William choked out, begging his parents to help him in any way possible.

He couldn't let her die, especially not in his arms because of him.


	28. Velvet Light, Foolish Rights

**Disclaimer: Stephenie Meyer is the rightful owner of Twilight. **

**~.~.~**

"Carlisle?" Esme's voice dripped with panic; her wide golden eyes were staring at Carlisle. All the while, Carlisle was staring at their son clutching onto the body for dear life.

William looked at his parents -Carlisle in particular with pleading eyes. His body was rigid, the body in his arms otherwise was squirming and moaning in pain. William wasn't sure if he was clutching her too hard or not, but he felt the urge to hold her firm to his body; as if it was his sole purpose to protect her at all costs. "Papa," he pleaded.

Carlisle was aware that once they were newborns, life would grow more complicated -for the first year at least. "Esme, love, you handle Jade while I'll see what I can do with William," he instructed, giving Esme a squeeze of the hand.

Esme nodded, not sure of herself. Of course, it's been decades since her last slip up, yet she wasn't sure how she would fair if the poor boy got a nose bleed (god forbid). It was different with the twins; she was so immune to their blood and their fragrance that made it easier for her to tend to her children's bloody noses, scraped knees, etc. What if Jade was the one that lost control and attacked her boyfriend? Was she strong enough to come in between a newborn and their bloodlust? The last time she got in amidst the rage of bloodlust, it was with Emmett, and she about lost a limb.

"Okay, set her down," Carlisle directed, William following his dad's orders. He stared down at the girl's face, her nose and forehead scrunched up in agony. "How long ago did you bite her?"

William looked over at his father as he brushed back her hair, in an attempt to provide her comfort even if the slightest bit. "Uh, I want to say maybe fifteen minutes ago?" William hesitated not precisely sure how much time has elapsed since his slip-up.

He checked the girl's heartbeat; it was a lot faster than he anticipated, and the heart was working double time pumping the venom into her bloodstream. Carlisle got a good look of her face, and she seemed to be around William's age, yet he felt like he's seen her around town. "William, why?"

"What do you mean why, papa? She was dying!" He exclaimed.

"That was reckless, son. You could have lost all control and-"

"But I didn't."

**~.~.~**

Esme and Jade walked into the house through the back entrance slowly and quietly. They could hear the rest of the family, making conversation with Adam. "Go wash up, and come back down," Esme said sternly, a tad overwhelmed at this point.

Jade nodded and ran off to her room while Esme washed her hands in the sink before proceeding to go upstairs into their family room. Her family was -thankfully- being kind to the poor boy. Rosalie and Emmett were curled up on the couch, as Edward, Bella, Ava, and Ness were standing around or flittering about the room. "Adam," Esme greeted, a smile gracing her face when she saw him.

"Mrs. Cullen, nice seeing you again," he offered a shaky and clammy hand for the matriarch to shake. Esme gladly shook his hand, her smile faltering for a split second when she noticed the wince he gave at the touch of her cold hand.

"Adam, please call me Esme. I do not need to remind you," Esme chuckled, flicking her hair back with a swift movement of her hand. She thought it was cute how he would get nervous with every interaction he had with her or Carlisle -within good reason, of course. He was good for Jade, and she was good for him.

Adam relaxed his shoulders and flashed the vampire a toothy grin as she released her hold on his hand. "It's nice seeing you again, Esme," he corrected himself, letting out a nervous chuckle. There were a handful of times where they met, yet now he was more nervous than ever. He wasn't sure if the information he was given was as a result of a drunken night from Jade where she was delirious or if she was serious. His suspicions only grew when the very next day, she has whisked away without a word.

_Adam had gotten home from his shift at the insurance company he was working for, carrying a bottle of wine and Italian take out per request of Jade. As he pushed the door open to their apartment, he was shocked when he saw Jade sitting on the dining room table pouring tequila into a coffee mug along with margarita mix. _

_"Babe?" Adam called, setting the food down on the table in front of her. He moved over to the cupboards to look for a corkscrew. _

_Jade dug out the bag that held the garlic bread and took a hefty bite from the piece of bread, moaning in delight as it was still warm. "You know, it sucks that I'm dying tomorrow," she mumbled, sifting through the bag and pulled out the chicken parm that was at the bottom of the paper bag. _

_"You don't know that baby," Adam said in confusion, pulling out plates and forks, strolling towards the table and began to scoop the food into the dishes as he watched her chug down her homemade margarita. _

_Jade nodded slowly, suppressing a burp coming up her throat. "Technically speaking, I'm not going to 'die' die," she laughed while using air quotes around the word die. "I'll still be alive, but dead."_

_"You're not making any sense. Here, eat and sober up a bit," Adam whispered, passing off her plate and watched in awe and adoration as her face lit up and began to dig in happily. _

_Jade shoveled up every bit of food she could, while she looked up at her boyfriend lovingly every now again. "You see, my family is vampires. Iam and I were conceived out of sheet miracle because mama had twins back in 1920 and one survived, and low and beheld; she's a vampire that can make people get pregnant." _

_Adam only stared at her while he shoved his food around the plate. "Addy?" Addy was his nickname for her; he tried calling her Jadie, but she quickly stopped him because that's what most of her family calls her -especially Carlisle. _

_"And then, get this!" she laughed leaning closer into the table. Adam got a closer look, and her eyes were barely open at that point, they were red, and the smell of alcohol was seeping through her pores. "I'm going to be turned into one as well. All because my twin brother refuses to turn without me. How freaking crazy is that?!" Jade sobbed out, her voice cracking with every word she spoke before she broke down. _

_All Adam could do was listen to her and try not to take her seriously. He wasn't sure if she was just a drunken mess or there was more to it. _

"How is your family, dear?" Esme asked, sitting down on the couch, crossing her legs while she leaned on the armrest.

Adam gulped and cleared his throat, feeling the air thicken around him. "They're fine, thank you. They just left for Lebanon, actually," he answered meekly.

"Oh!" Esme exclaimed, taken aback ever so slightly. "I hear it's lovely this time of the year."

"Uh, yeah. They're out there for my mother's sister's wedding; they'll be heading to Mexico after that, visiting my father's family," he shrugged as if it was a reasonable thing to do.

Before Esme could say one more word, Jade came rushing down the stairs, with her hair in a low messy bun and wearing leggings with an oversized sweater -very much like how she left their apartment. "Hi," she breathed out, a grin creeping on her face.

His scent was everything she's ever craved and more. However, she resisted the urge to feed her instincts, all because she loved him.

**~.~.~**

Carlisle sighed and took the wrist that fell victim to his son's bite. He sighed and gave a silent prayer before he sunk his teeth into the site. All Carlisle could taste at that point was venom; there was an insignificant trace of human blood. He sighed and sucked out as much as he could; however, it was too late at this point.

William watched in anticipation, hoping that he didn't just end this girl's life over a wild instinct. "Papa?"

Carlisle shook his head, releasing her wrist and cleared the blood with his sleeve. "Take her up to the spare room through the back, make sure Adam doesn't see you. You will be at her bedside and watch her, am I understood?" Carlisle commanded, lifting her and handing her off to William.

"She won't wake up for another seventy-two hours though," he interjected, following Carlisle through the backdoor that led to the back staircase of the house.

"You should have thought of that before you bit her," Carlisle spoke in high annoyance. "You could've finished her off, Nicolas. So now, you will be there with her every minute of this transformation."

William nodded and took her up to the spare room. That room so happened to be the same room that they were in when they were being changed. He laid her down on the bed where he once laid and sat on the bed next to hers. As William observed her, he felt even more derelict than he already was feeling. William should've listened to Jade when she told them to leave, but there was something about her that enticed him to her.

Alice bounced in and sat next to William, swinging her feet as she stared at her. "You're going to fall in love with her, I just know it," Alice sang in a teasing manner, a smirk on her tiny face.

He scoffed and gently shoved her shoulder, "You don't know that."

"Oh, but I do," Alice retorted.

"Anything on Jade?"

"Oh," Alice whispered, her gaze getting hazy as she stared at the floor beneath her. "They'll be fine; they'll be more than fine."

William nodded and leaned back onto the wall. "This wasn't a mistake, right, Ali?"

"No, baby brother, it wasn't." Alice sighed and wrapped her tiny arms around William as they sat there and watched the girl continue to thrash about the bed in agonizing pain.

**~.~.~**

"Y-your eyes, Addy," Adam stuttered, entranced in her eyes. They were slowly becoming into that vibrant honey color that the rest of her family owned. At this point, they were still that striking crimson color, although with a rust color look that faded into a golden near her pupil. It resembled a sunset of sorts.

Without thinking much, Jade quickly looked away and saw Carlisle walking up towards them, wearing a new sweater and scarf around his neck. His hair was a little disheveled compared to how tidy it is typically. "Ah, what a pleasure seeing you once more, Adam," Carlisle greeted the boy, giving his daughter a comforting wink.

"M-Mr. Cullen, nice seeing you as well, sir," he stuttered, as he finally noticed the color in everyone's eyes. Their eyes were all the same golden color, except for Ness, she had brown eyes.

"What brings you out here?"

"I um," suddenly Adam began to feel a lot more nervous than he was initially. It was dawning on him that everything that Jade was saying was right. "I came to see if Jade would like to talk. I got worried when she wouldn't answer my calls after she upped and left," he explained.

"I told you I was coming home," Jade whispered, still not bothering to look him in the eyes.

Out of the corner of her eyes, she could see the hurt in his face. "You did, but you didn't say goodbye," his voice cracked, feeling slightly flustered as the rest of her family watched him gradually decaying at the seams.

"Can we take this outside please?" Jade said softly, finally finding the courage to look at her boyfriend in the eyes.

Adam nodded and followed his girlfriend out the back door, noticing the way she walked; everything about her was different, and it was unsettling.

Meanwhile, back in the family room, the room was quiet. "Someone should shadow her," Edward spoke, breaking the silence.

Rosalie, Emmett, Bella, and Ness nodded in agreement. "I'll go," Emmett sighed and made his way towards the backdoor.

They all watched as he tip-toed his way over there as if Jade wouldn't hear. It would've worked when she was still human, but not anymore. "Where is William?" Rosalie asked, bringing up the throw blanket close to her chin, looking over to see Esme and Carlisle cuddling on the couch, while Ava was by their feet sketching away on her sketchpad.

"He's watching a girl's body that he bit," Carlisle sighed and rubbed his face with his hands.

"Wait; what?" Bella asked, looking up from her game of chess that she was playing with Ness.

Esme looked at her husband as well, shocked at the news as well. "You have him watching her? You couldn't get the venom out in time?"

"Sadly, no," Carlisle lamented.

Rosalie furrowed her brows and sat up straighter, looking over the couch to look at Edward to see if he could hear anything, but he shook his head. Throughout the years, the twins have become excellent at barring their thoughts from their brother and managing their way around Alice's blind spots (although not always prosperous).

"This is becoming a shitshow," Ava grumbled under her breath, erasing the mistake on her paper furiously.

"Ava," Esme scolded, glaring at her daughter.

**~.~.~**

"Addy," Adam started, scuffing the toe of his shoe on the grass. He looked over at her and noticed the way her eyes glistened in the dim light. She looked beautiful, perfect even (not that she wasn't before in his eyes) there was something about her that enticed him even more. "You left without saying goodbye."

The young vampire sighed and sat down on the garden swing that was strung with fairy lights, patting the spot next to her. Adam slowly made his way towards the seat, examining his girlfriend. "I did. I meant to call, but my dad said it wasn't safe," she whimpered, staring into his eyes. She swore she heard someone choke from the inside. Jade mentally kicked herself, knowing that she slipped once again.

"_Pero mi Amor, _what wasn't safe? I-is this about what you told me the night before you left?" finally, he summoned up the courage to ask her.

"Yes," Jade whispered.

"You're one of them, aren't you?" he inquired, settling his hand on top of hers, flinching at the feel of her once warm hands now stone cold. He took her silence as a yes and hung his head. This was all too much information for one day. "Why haven't you sucked me dry yet?"

"Because I love you too much," she choked out, giving him a weak smile. "Your blood smells so good, but I'm resisting the urge of biting you and killing you off; all because I love your dumbass so much," Jade chuckled leaning close to him, resting her head on his shoulder.

"As appealing as how when you just got done baking a chocolate cake?"

"Even better," she mumbled, relishing in the feeling of his arms wrapping around her.

"How am I dumbass, though?"

"You sauntered into a house full of vampires, and two of which are newborns," she scoffed.

"All because I love you so much."

"You can't," Jade whispered, "you can't tell anyone, please. You mustn't."

"I won't, _Corazon."_

**~.~.~**

As the night came to a close, Adam had fallen asleep in Jade's abandoned room. While Jade was in there watching her boyfriend sleep, the rest of the family had retired to their rooms, still on their toes to make sure she didn't do something she'd later regret.

Esme and Carlisle, however, joined William in the room. Just how Alice had left him, laying down on the bed staring at the young girl intently. "William, honey," Esme whispered, running her fingers through his hair while she also got a closer look at the girl.

"Mama, I did it because I couldn't leave her there to die," he defended himself.

Esme and Carlisle shared a knowing look; conceivably, she was his singer. "I know, love, I know. You can't act on pure instinct, darling. Why were you guys out there by yourselves in the first place?"

William shrugged and laid on his back before sitting up to look at his parents in the eyes. "We," he stopped himself, "I thought that I was ready. Jade wasn't on board, but she needed to hunt as well, so we left."

"William, son, even us veterans if you will," Carlisle attempted to explain, "have to go hunt with someone else. One can never be too sure in these situations."

"I know, papa. I know."

"Next time, you look for someone else to go. Even if it's just for a quick feed," Carlisle finished.

William nodded and smiled at his dad. "Will do, padre."

"Okay, I have to go to work," Carlisle kissed the top of Esme's head, and rustling William's hair; a habit that he had outgrown when the kids were away at college. "Let me know if anything changes," with that, he exited the room and went on his way.

"Mama, do you think I found my mate?" William asked, making Esme gush. The way he asked reminded her of a time when he was just a shy little boy who spent most of his time on Esme's lap when she would read a bedtime story or cuddled to her side while Jade was on the other as they watched movies on thunderous rainy nights.

"I don't know, baby; I don't know. Don't be discouraged if you didn't; your sister still hasn't," Esme kissed the top of his head.

"I could've sworn she was going to mate with Tanya when I was younger," William snorted, earning him a shove from his mom.


	29. It's All Okay

**Disclaimer: Stephenie Meyer is the rightful owner of Twilight. **

**~.~.~**

Jade had spent most of Adam's waking moments with him, indulging in every memory and moment she had with him. Jade took him to the closest clearing she knew on a sunny morning; Esme had packed him breakfast so he could eat it picnic style. While Jade wandered into the clearing, slowly every inch that was exposed to the sun began to glisten. An exquisite sight that only enticed the human even more so much so that he couldn't fathom the thought of not ever witnessing such wonders.

"I look absurd," Jade giggled, glancing up from her spot on the floor underneath a large tree, flashing her boyfriend a toothy grin.

He laughed and sat down next to her, still in awe and wondering if everything was just a dream. Vampires don't exist; it's just a story of vampires that turn into bats at night and obliterate even with the smallest ray of sun. All of his former ideas have been challenged thus far. "You look beautiful, my love," he spoke softly, amazement and love oozing out of his mouth.

Despite the enchanting minutes they have spent together just soaking each other in, Adam's leave was greatly encouraged by Carlisle and Esme. They didn't intend for it to come off as malicious, in their eyes, it was in his best interest for him to go back home. Hesitantly, Adam bid his goodbyes to the family for the time being.

Meanwhile, William still had not moved a single muscle since he was assigned to watch over the girl. There was a part of him that anticipated to see who she was. He wanted to know her hobbies, her interests, everything and anything about her. Every so often, someone would come in and talk to him to keep him from going frantic. However, when he was alone, he didn't foresee her to wake up so soon.

William laid down, shutting every noise as much as he possibly could. Throughout the last seventy-two hours, he re-read the same book over and over again, as he tried to pass the time. While he flipped the page, he heard someone panicking. William rapidly shot up from the bed and in a flash was by her bedside. Those crimson red eyes stared back at William; in fear and wonder. "Hey, hey, it's okay," William reassured the troubled girl.

"Who are you?" she croaked out, grabbing at her throat, feeling the unbearable burning sensation in her throat. "W-why, do I feel like there is an iron rod going down my throat?" she cried out. Her voice sounded ten times different to her; every movement she made was sped up. Then, realization dawned on her face, and she shot up straight on the bed. The walls around her were a vibrant white, with equally white curtains flying about the room, the wind from outside whirling them around. It was like a lucid dream, something she undergoes seldom. "I'm dead, aren't I?"

"W-well, yes and no," William whispered, cringing at the expression that she shot him. It reminded him of the look that Jade would give him when they would meet in San Francisco in the weekends, and he refused to tell her the truth of his schoolwork. "You are a vampire, and i-it's my fault," he stammered.

"Vampires aren't real," she retorted, grimacing at the feeling of her throat burning.

With a sigh, William walked over to the body-sized mirror that was on the other side of the room. Perhaps, he did make a mistake on biting her. There was no way William was going to explain it to her to ease her doubts. All he could do was stare at her while he walked back with so much curiosity. Gently, William placed the mirror in front of her without saying a single word. Instead, he paid attention to her every move (in a not so creepy move).

The way her timid fingers wandered across her face made it seem as if she was trying to make sure she was real -almost as if she were making sure it wasn't all a dream. Her face contorted into that as if she was crying; however, no tears came out, and they never would.

_Cordelia. _Her mom was a college English professor who cherished Shakespeare and thus named her daughter Cordelia -much to the dismay of her father's objections. It was a name that she later came to terms with; appreciating the uniqueness and embracing the hardships that came with it.

William had Emmett go hunt with them - seeing as he was still the strongest one in the family. Cordelia struggled with a mountain lion for about five minutes before William stepped in and helped her take down the lion. The entire time that she was feasting, sobs were wracking her body. Cordelia was entirely happy that for now, she didn't have to go and slaughter an entire town to quench her undeniable thirst. William and Emmett let her know that it was entirely up to her to leave if she pleased.

When they returned from the trip, the entire family was waiting to meet her. They all met her with compassionate smiles, especially Esme, Carlisle, and Ava. Rosalie, on the other hand, offered her a sorrowful look, knowing that the poor girl had no say in this. It was overwhelming, not only for Cordelia but for William as well.

He wasn't aware how much of a handful he might have been as a newborn; however, now that he saw after Cordelia, William ends up exhausted.

**~.~.~**

_A Month Later_

The three newborns in the household have adjusted well. Jade traveled down to Bayside, where Adam was currently staying with his family; however, she didn't trust herself enough to be around anymore humans that were not her boyfriend. William would venture into the town with Carlisle as his chaperone, to ensure that he wouldn't slip once more. Each visit was a small victory for the young vampire, jumping on Carlisle's back in excitement as they strolled the walk back to the house from the car.

"_Papa, I did it!"_ William would say, while Carlisle would encircle an arm around his shoulders, every time every bit more exultant. He would agree and affirm that he was very much in control of his feelings and wants. He would come in and recount the day's endeavor to anyone who would listen; typically, this was Esme, Jade, Ava, and even Cordelia.

The three younger vampires bonded together over the month, Cordelia anticipating the day her eyes changed into that vibrant orange color that graced their irises. Jade and Cordelia - Delia or even Rory as she had grown to call her - soon became friends, and Rosalie becoming a confidant to Cordelia. Both launched into this life without a single word in the matter; however, both learned to cope with it.

Esme was elated at the thought of a new member of the family, even if for a little while. Even though she knew everything was a mistake and realistically, Cordelia wouldn't also be in this predicament if one of them were with the twins while they were hunting, she was quite content.

Carlisle and Jade would get into arguments every so often about the fact that she couldn't be with Adam quite yet and the dangers of her being around him - or the potential of the Volturi finding him and inflicting harm on not only him but the whole family. _Edward did i_t; Jade would argue with her father, begging with him sitting across from his desk as he leaned forward. His face was soft and compassionate; there was nothing more that he would want to do but give his daughter what she wanted. _This situation was different, _Carlisle would dispute back, running a hand over his face wholly tired and exhausted of having the same discussion.

Jade noticed herself following Esme around at an endeavor to find a new pastime. However, now, Jade was finding out a lot more about her mom. Stuff that she didn't know or things that she reserved from her simply because Esme thought she wouldn't understand. Esme completely loved every minute she spent with her daughter; it made up for the time she was away in college. The two of them would sit in Esme's studio and paint in silence. It was something Jade only did for her mother (she appreciated the craft; it just wasn't for her). Sometimes her paintings reflected the way she was feeling. A vibrant abstract piece typically signified that she was feeling excellent overall or a dreary, and ghostly meant that she wasn't feeling all that well.

While Jade and Esme were doing their thing, Ava, Rosalie, and Emmett were hosting meetings about the possibilities of Rosalie conceiving, through the help of Ava of course. They would meet with Alice occasionally, to see the outcome of the pregnancy, if it was successful or not. Emmett was still unsure that they went up to Alaska and asked Eleazar once more how safe this was. After easing Emmett's doubts, he finally gave in to Rose's wishes and let himself be excited that there was going to be a tiny human running around the house soon.

**~.~.~**

_Three Months Later_

One night that the coupled family members went out for a date night, Cordelia and William were on the roof of the house as they stared at the lights that were coming from town. There was a carnival going on funded by the local church to raise funds.

"Do you miss it?" William asked as he saw the way she gazed longingly at the lights emitting from the town. He had known her long enough to know when she was overworking her brain with many thoughts going through her head.

Cordelia looked over and offered him a weak smile, small dimples peeking out. Her hair was in two French braids, courtesy of Rose before she left. "I do, sometimes," her voice was soft as she reminisced, "I didn't have that great of human life. What I can remember, at least."

William nodded, and they sat there talking about distant memories that perhaps didn't hold much importance if it's fading so quick. They sat there all night, laughing and explaining what they would be doing if they were still human. William perhaps would be working on his masters at this point, while Delia would be finishing up her bachelor's in business this year.

Perhaps she was his singer, and they were meant to be mates.

Conveniently, this was the weekend that Adam was coming up to visit Jade and she couldn't be happier, although she had to make the hardest decision she had to make.

_"Daddy," Jade whined following Carlisle into her parent's room where Esme was already laying down on the bed with her tablet as she designed a new house. Carlisle sighed and sat on the edge of the bed. _

_Carlisle looked over at Esme who gave him a sad nod, prompting him to continue. "Jadie love, you have to choose."_

_"I can't. I can't make Adam choose this lifestyle, hell I didn't even want it for the longest time. I also can't just dump him; he's the love of my life," Jade cried out, her eyes darting frantically back and forth between Carlisle and Esme. _

_Esme patted the spot on the bed next to her, Jade playfully pushing Carlisle away as she snuggled to Esme's side. "Darling, he will choose if he loves you the way you love him. If you love him enough, perhaps letting him go will be the best option. You will get to see him live a long and healthy life, AJ Bear." _

_"Can I cuddle with you tonight, mama? Like old times? I need to process this, and I don't like being alone." _

_"Of course, my love." _

Jade sat at the other side of the dining room table as she watched Adam devour the homemade enchiladas that Esme had made a couple of hours prior, while he downed it with a bottle of beer that Jade had gone out and gotten for him. "You look like your dad," Jade giggled as he wiped the sauce off of his face.

Adam gave her wide eyes and swallowed a big mouthful. "No, I do not, amor." He laughed when he saw the way she rolled her eyes; they were now that beautiful golden color that made her look even more gorgeous. "Your mom is an amazing cook," he praised through another mouthful.

They went on a hike and cuddled as much as they could the whole day, Adam telling Jade all about school and work. Jade told him everything about her progress with this new life with how well she was adjusting and how Carlisle mentioned that he was hesitant on informing the Volturi or not.

The couple was outside in the garden with the fire pit raging on; the fairy lights lit up above them. Adam was drinking a hot chocolate while Jade wrapped a blanket around herself even though she didn't need it. "Babe? I need to talk to you," Jade whispered.

"Oh, me too. Me first though," Adam interrupted, his smile breaking out on his face. "Adeline Jade, meeting you has been the highlight of my life. There was never a dull moment in my life while you're in it. I never thought I'd be this madly in love with someone as I am with you, and I wouldn't want it any other way," His voice was low as he took her hands in his. If Jade's heart were beating, it'd pound out of her chest. "I am prepared to go through anything and everything to spend the rest of my life with you."

Jade stared at his eyes wide. "Adeline Jade Cullen, will you marry me?"

"Yes, of course, I will!" She wept out, staring at him slide on the ring on her finger. It was a simple white gold band with a delicate pear-shaped diamond perched proudly on top. Gently, she pulled him into a hug, careful not to hurt him.

Everything was looking up for the Cullen's.

**I know I took forever to post this chapter! I had midterms and a family emergency pop up, so, it's been a wild two weeks. **

**However, there's only one more chapter left, and I'm so sad to see this end. I want to thank every single one of you who had come along this long and crazy journey with me and my characters. **

**I appreciate you all so much!**


	30. Champagne, Pechebel, and Forever

**Disclaimer: Stephenie Meyer is the rightful owner of Twilight. **

**~.~.~**

_One Year Later_

It was a dreary September morning; perfect for the family full of vampires. The house was strangely peaceful, opposed to the usual hustle and bustle that was going on in the house. It hasn't been that calm since the twins were babies -and that was twenty-two years ago.

Esme and Carlisle were laying in each other's arms in their bed; the duvet draped over their naked bodies, Carlisle's lips pressed to the top of her head. The light of the sun hiding behind the clouds shined behind their eyelids. Esme groaned against her husband's chest, the light indicating it was time for them to get up and commence the day. Carlisle smiled and tugged her closer to his body, breathing in her fragrance.

"This day is going to be hard," Esme murmured, trailing circles onto Carlisle's back. Her manicured fingers created a brilliant contrast against his pale toned back. The action sent shivers up Carlisle's spine even though he enjoyed it when Esme did so. It was common when Carlisle would return home from work after he had a hard day. He nestled his nose deeper into her hair, the soft feeling of her hair, giving him a sense of comfort he was seeking.

Carlisle had to agree, that today was going to be hard; a lump would form in his throat at the single thought of what was going to go down in a few hours. He reminisced on the days when his children were little, Jade specifically. Every chance he would get, he made sure to take her out. It may not have been the biggest adventures; however, the sight of the toothy grin on her face every outing made him feel proud. Carlisle would take her out on Fridays and William on Saturday's -he would teach him how to play baseball, they would go to the library together and even went go-kart racing at one point. "I think I'm going to combust."

Esme laughed and pushed herself off of her husband running a hand through her locks, untangling the knots that formed in her hair through the night. She stretched like a cat and kissed her husband on the nose. "It's going to be fine, darling," she murmured and sauntered into the bathroom. Carlisle quickly scampered onto his feet and joined his wife in the shower enjoying the hot water falling on them as they cleansed themselves in silence.

They have been planning for this day for a year; with each passing day, the anticipation only grew greater. It's been a pretty wild year, with that Rosalie becoming pregnant and giving birth to her beautiful baby boy Michael a mere three months ago. She was head over heels in love with him, his little head full of dark curls just like his father with his mother's striking blue eyes that entranced everyone who met him. Even though his son completely enamored Emmett, he was still frightened to hold him and unintentionally hurt the little boy.

In the short year that William had bitten Cordelia, they have grown closer to the point where it nauseated Jade, and quite frankly, she's grown jealous of their relationship. Jade and William grew up; it was just the two of them and being each other's best friend, it completely threw Jade off guard.

When Carlisle walked down the stairs, with his joggers and a plain black t-shirt and regular sneakers, his daughter was already downstairs waiting for him, wearing a similar outfit looking a lot more nervous than she ever did. "Daddy," she breathed out, jumping out of the couch and onto her feet. Carlisle greeted his daughter with a kiss on the forehead - it was an everyday thing.

They both walked out into the crisp morning air silently, the leaves crunching softly beneath their feet as they journeyed more profound into the woods. Behind them, the family was busy at work decorating the backyard. They were attempting to make it look straight out of a fairytale (or as much as a fairytale the bride would allow). The silence they held was comforting; it made them feel at peace and like their life's in the past year wasn't restless. "You're a twenty-one-year-old vampire still calling me daddy," Carlisle finally broke the silence, a chuckle coming deep from his throat.

Jade shrugged and pulled her damp brown hair into a high bun as she looked up at her dad. "You're at fault for answering when I call you that," she scoffed and gave him a gentle shove. They walked for a couple more miles in silence, both taking in the scenery. The fog was lightly rolling through the trees, the occasional bunnies or squirrels running in front of their feet.

"You can always call me daddy, if you like," Carlisle started as he leads his daughter to a tree stump where there was a gift he had hidden for her. "You'll always be my Jadie Bug."

"Jadie Bug," Jade reiterated, dimples gracing her face. There was a field of sunflowers up ahead, a place she and Carlisle frequented - a play on their daddy-daughter dates. They would go and talk about the different books she was reading from Carlisle's study for the week, or he'd recount play by playing any of the surgeries that he thought might have sparked an intrigue.

Carlisle smiled and watched as she sat down on the stump, staring at the sunflower field a few short miles ahead of them. "You'll forever be one of my miracle babies, AJ," he smiled, calling her her childhood nickname. Every time she heard someone call her AJ, she would grimace and cringe. "Darling, you and your brother are the biggest blessings that God has given me. I thought now was as good a time to give you this," Carlisle mumbled, pulling out a small box with a pink bow on it.

Jade opened the box with a suspicious look on her face, gently taking the lid off from the brown box. Inside, sitting on top of a blanket of velvet material sat two keys. Jade furrowed her brows and looked over at her dad. Carlisle was rocking on his heels with a cheeky grin on his face. "Keys?"

"It might not be as extravagant as your mom's Island, but I want to buy you your property. Sames goes for your brother; he chose an Island off the coast of Mexico," Carlisle chuckled, abruptly feeling his daughter's arms wrapping around his waist.

"Thank you," she mumbled, a smile on her face. It was an excellent start to her day.

**~.~.~**

Back at the Cullen residence, a lot was going on. Showers were running at the same time, along with various family members fussing over the baby. Adam's family was currently staying at a nearby hotel -denying the Cullen's offer to stay in their home. His family consisted of his parents and his two younger sisters, along with his extended family that was driving up from San Jose. Adam's mother, Leyla, had gotten along exceptionally well with Esme. Both women were fussing over the preparations and making sure everything was perfect.

Esme walked into the room where all the girls were getting ready with her grandson Michael in her arms. He was clutching onto her curled hair that was pinned over to one-side by Rosalie. In the room, Jade had her eyes closed as Ava was blow-drying her hair, her hair in a low bun with loose strands falling around her face. Ness was doing her makeup with Alice doing her hair while Rosalie worked on Bella. Cordelia sat in the corner of the room, sadly going through her social media without interacting. "Almost ready?" Esme asked, gently pulling her hair away from Michael's tiny hands.

"Almost," Alice sang excitedly, her cherry red lips curling up into a smile that rivaled the Cheshire cats.

Esme nodded and went to check on the boys. She strolled around the house, feeling waves of nostalgia come and go. In a way, Esme lamented that the twins didn't have a childhood home, and neither will poor little Michael. As she entered the room where the boys were lounging, playing video games, she rolled her eyes with a grin. "Momma, give me my baby boy," Emmett called out when he heard his baby's coo's from the door.

Emmett enthusiastically took the tiny boy from his mom's arms, tenderly kissing his forehead. Just as Esme was about to walk out, Carlisle came up behind her and kissed the top of her head. "Maybe we should have another one."

Esme pursed her lips and whirled around facing her husband. There he was, his hair neatly combed while he was wearing black slacks and a white button-down shirt. With a bite of her lip, she sadly shook her head. "I've already had my babies, and I got to raise them, with you that has always been my dream."

Carlisle nodded and held onto her as they walked towards their room to finish getting ready for the big day. "I'm glad that I got to raise two beautiful children with you, my love," he smiled and pulled her with him as he fell on the bed, relishing in her squeals.

"Our two grown-up baby bugs," Esme grinned pressing her lips to his.

**~.~.~**

The guests began arriving at the property; every single one of them in awe of how magnificent the house was. Their guests consisted of Adam's side of the family, from both his fathers and his mother's side. The Cullen's side of the family was only the Denali's, a few of the twin's friends, and the wolf pack who decided to accompany Jake as he was also invited. When the twins were human, all four of them would hang out when Jake was in town to visit Nessie, and they've gotten along just fine.

Inside, William was overlooking the scenery in front of him with his hands tucked inside his pants. He wasn't sure why they were throwing such an extravagant wedding. He thought it was a morbid way for Adam to bid his farewells to his family and friends; going out with a bang before he gets introduced to the supernatural world. "Iam?" his sister's soft voice broke him from his trance.

When he turned around, he nearly choked. For so long his sister has been his confidant and his accomplice to every endeavor they took. Seeing her look so radiant and happy, so full of life only made him feel a tug in his heart. He knew that they would be branching off and doing their own thing, a wish of his sister's since she was little. Only she couldn't travel as freely as she wished.

The way her hair flowed around her face with a few strands pulled away and wearing minimal makeup yet still making her look like she belonged in a magazine or a billboard. She tugged on the sleeves of her robe as she gave her brother a meek smile. "You look gorgeous, AJ," he smiled and shoved her head back, playfully how he always did.

"Thank you. Possibly it's the fact that today I'm full of love and want everyone to feel the same way," Jade started, standing behind her twin brother as they both watched everyone slowly arriving and mingling with each other. It amazed her to see how big of a family that her fiance had; they all seemingly looked pleased to see each other. Even if they weren't, they were strategic about it. "Tell Delia how you feel about her," Jade whispered.

"I'm afraid if I do, it will change things."

"You should've seen her when she thought you were still in the car," Jade scoffed. A few months back, William's car erupted into flames when he crashed into a tree swerving not to hit another vehicle. When Cordelia found out that fire is the most effective way to get rid of vampires, she was having a mental breakdown. Esme restrained her when she saw that she wanted to flee.

"I'm okay; I'm here. Look," William sighed, sitting down on the edge of his bed while Jade picked at her nails that were perfectly manicured. "I will throw myself in flames if it meant saving her. I'd do anything, but I'm not sure if it's a smart move."

Jade sighed and moved towards the door, as she could almost hear Alice's cries for her to finish getting ready. "All I'm saying is, we all see that you two are mates. Now stop prolonging fate and confess yourself."

William rolled his eyes as she flittered out the room, and he heard her kissing Michael all over his face. More often than not, he thought about letting Cordelia know how he felt. It was feasible that she wouldn't reciprocate those same feelings; however, now, William wasn't too sure. Maybe, just maybe he will let her know.

**~.~.~**

Jade slid her fingers down the champagne colored wedding gown. The gown was made out of chiffon and had an a-line, with a lace bodice that held a baby pink ribbon around the waist. The sleeves were off the shoulder capped sleeves. She let out an unnecessary breath as she stared at herself in the full-body mirror.

"My baby," Esme whimpered, standing at the doorway. She had walked in to let her know that the ceremony was about to commence. Jade twirled around with a grin plastered on her face. "You look gorgeous, my love. Oh, I can't believe it." Esme sobbed out, engulfing her daughter in a hug.

"You look hot, mama!" Jade giggled as she pulled back and admired the way her burgundy dress hugged her body.

"What can I say, you have a hot mom," Esme winked, as she fixed the clip in Jade's hair. "I love you, baby."

"Love you too, mama."

The pair walked out of the room to meet her dad in the family room. There he was staring out the door, as he fiddled with a small velvet box in his hands. His head turned when he heard two pairs of heels hitting the floor. Carlisle was in awe when his eyes landed on the important women in his life. He knew if he would be able to cry, he'd be a blubbering mess at the sight of his daughter. "Wow," was all he was able to say.

Esme rushed to his side and took the case from his hands. "Your father and I thought you would need something blue," she gushed as she opened the lid to the box. A thin gold chain was lying in the box, with a small sapphire blue diamond that was perched in the middle.

It was a bracelet that Carlisle had gifted Esme back in the '60s, something small he said. Jade smiled and let her mom clasp it on her wrist. It was something she has never seen before and completely fell in love with it instantly.

"Ready?" Carlisle choked out, offering his sleeve to his daughter.

Jade nodded and slipped her arm through as Edward began to play Pachelbel's Canon D on the piano while Rosalie did as well on the cello. Jade took a deep breath as they proceeded down the aisle that was made out of pink and red rose petals. She tried to ease her hold on the small bouquet that she held in her hands, trying not to obliterate them. Her eyes flickered around the area, beaming faces surrounding her; most of them Jade could make out yet some were unfamiliar. She choked up when she saw Carmen's look of pure pride and love shooting in her direction. Through the years, Carmen has become sort of her second mother. Carmen was able to relate to Jade in the sense that she was another female vampire, and frankly, there were things that she wasn't comfortable telling her mother.

"Daddy, how am I doing?" Jade whispered, peering up at her dad's face that had a small smile.

"Wonderful, Jadie Bug."

Jade nodded and beamed at her lovely mother in law as she passed by, tears streaming down her face. Her father in law, Sebastian, had his arms around her, clearly in love. Next, she let out a laugh when she saw all her siblings and niece and nephew, owning great smiles. They gave her that sense of comfort, and she couldn't be any more grateful.

Finally, her eyes landed on Adam. His face red and wet, his eyes red and puffy. Her heart fluttered at the sight of him. How lucky she was to find someone who loved her the way he did. It was a love that rivaled that of her parents; however, she knew no other love could compare to their century-long love that stemmed from the moment Esme was sixteen.

Once at the altar, Carlisle held onto his daughter for a beat longer, kissing her forehead tenderly before joining his wife. The ceremony was beautiful, bringing tears to the eyes of those who were able to emit them. A gentle breeze played beautifully with the skirt of her dress, although she knew to hold her breath.

In the crowd, Cordelia laid her head on William's shoulder as they watched the exchanging of vows. William looked down, and at that moment, he knew that she felt the same way. Hesitantly, he placed his hand on her knee, trying to play it off. However, his lips twitched up into a smile when she put her hand on top of his.

Everyone indeed was full of love, or whatever, so he thought.

**~.~.~**

The reception was a blast. The beautiful melding of different cultures made it a lot more fun for everyone. Before Jade had turned, she made sure to have Adam teach her every single type of dance from his cultures that he knew. The beautiful sound of the mariachi playing while they were eating. The sound of a Lebanese Zaffe that played at their entrance. Jade was over the moon throughout the whole day, as she walked around, greeting everyone and felt the love radiate off every single person.

"_Mi niña hermosa!" _Carmen cried out as she hugged her 'niece.'

When the first dance rolled around, Jade and Adam were smiling from ear to ear as they held onto each other and swayed along to the melody of Ron Pope's _Perfect for Me. _Esme held onto Carlisle, more so to keep him from running away an emotional mess.

_"I love you."_

Cordelia stared at William her red lips open agape as she stared at him.

_"I love you, too."_

Adam kissed her forehead as he held her close.

Jade stood in the center of the dance floor after their dance, waiting for her dad. "Daddy!" She called out, giggles erupting from within her. Carlisle chuckled and walked up to her. _The Wonders of You _by Elvis Presley played as the more happy dance.

"Tell me if he ever disrespects you," Carlisle nearly snarled, Emmett, chuckling like a mad man and Ava choking when they heard him say this.

"He won't," Jade affirmed, as Carlisle twirled her around. A memory is reminiscent of when she was only a child.

_Forever _by the Beach Boys played and Jade clutched onto Carlisle for the first verses. Slowly, Esme made her way up towards the duo and hugged them back. It was planned and well-executed as the trio held hands and twirled each other slowly and happily.

As the DJ played a copious amount of different music that surely got everyone up on their feet and dancing, you could find the youngest Cullen's sitting down and watching everyone dancing the night away.

"I told her," William blurted out as they watched Ava and Tanya dance quite provocatively while Ness, Jake, and Cordelia were watching in amusement beside them, Esme watching in horror while she was talking to Carmen.

"I know," Jade smiled and laid her head on his shoulder. "I'm happy for you, brother."

"Let's go dance."

Carlisle and Esme walked into the house to seclude themselves for a little while, letting themselves feel all the emotions that they were suppressing for the day. They held onto each other on their bed, Esme sobbing into Carlisle's shirt, while Carlisle rubbed circles on her back.

"Our babies are grown up."

"Maybe we should have another," Esme mumbled.

"I thought you said no," Carlisle raised an eyebrow and gave her a crooked smile.

"I know but, I love the feeling of having a baby. I love raising them. I got to feel what it's like to be a mother and I love it, my darling," Esme explained.

"I don't know if I'll survive if we have another daughter," Carlisle shook his head, causing Esme to chuckle and hug him.

"Your little girl is leaving."

"Your little boy is too. He confessed his love for Delia."

"Don't remind me."

"I'm incredibly lucky, my love."

"As am I."

"I love you."

"Not as much as I, my love."

**Ah! It's done! Jade is married, and William is utterly in love with Cordelia!**

**Thank you, thank you, so much to MammaNita4, Twilight Author Girl, GomezAddams1, and DxGRAYxMan for always reviewing and frankly being my motivation to continue with this. **

**Love you guys!**

**Also, not sure how FF is with links if it's still the same from when I first started. However, I will try to leave it here. This is the version of Canon D that I'm obsessed with and just imagined Rose and Edward playing this. **

watch?v=Ptk_1Dc2iPY


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